A Falling Republic
by Damned Lolita
Summary: What if Ash died when he was attacked by the Spearow in Episode One? What if Pallet Town, even Kanto as a whole, was a lot darker than the show let you believe? What if one girl and a bunch of Pokemon were the Region's only hope? -AU-
1. So the story begins

(I am starting a new story, OMG. I know, I have a really bad habit of not finishing what I start, but I have about _six_ chapters prewritten for this, and if it gets bad reviews, eff it, and delete it. –nods- But I will try! Don't own.

And as soon as you see her starter, you're all going to hate me, I'm sure. I am almost SURE of it. But don't worry, she's not going to have the Magical Sue Journey. Actually, later on, she pukes up an eye. But that's another story.

And I KNOW Gary isn't the Professor. It's AU, okay?)

* * *

Pallet Town. 

Where the dreams of Trainers begin.

But it was never the idyllic paradise portrayed in so many propaganda leaflets.

Trainer output must meet expectations.

Even if that means rejects must become trainers...

Our story starts with a familiar character. A boy named Ash Ketchum. He was late. To the League, this was inexcusable. But Professor Gary Oak, being of the sympathetic sort, gave him a rebellious Pikachu, and sent him on his way.

Sealing both his fate, and the fate of another young girl.

He was traveling along, trying to convince Pikachu to like him, when the Spearow attacked.

The rain had started to fall, and it was dangerous enough with the lightning...

"C'mon, Pikachu! We gotta run!" The boy urged the rat forward, rushing ahead as fast as he could. Pikachu was injured, and he wasn't in good shape himself. And the Spearow were advancing...

Squalling like a child, the new trainer tripped and stumbled, collapsing to the ground. His Pikachu was thrown out of his arms, and cried out with pain as he hit the ground.

The Spearow cawed happily, sensing their next meal. Pikachu fired off a weak electric shock, but it did little damage. Ash crawled over to the electric mouse, and attempted to protect him.

A nice gesture, but one that would prove fatal. The Spearow attacked him first.

He screamed. "I DON'T WANT TO DIE, PLEASE, I HAVE TO BE THE BEST, I DON'T WANNA, I DON'T WANNA!! PIKACHUUUU..." He called for the electric rat to save him, and got no response. He was already stiff with fear.

He was a dead man walking, and he didn't even know it.

Oh, poor him, such a shame.

They'll never put Pokemon Master on his grave...

"SAVE ME! SOMEONE! ANYONE! I'M BEGGING YOU..." He began to cry again, as the Spearow ripped at his flesh. The cuts welled with blood, and the Spearow ripped it wider in glee, tasting the muscle and flesh this prey had to offer.

They went for his head next. One eye was ripped out, but another cruelly saved so the boy could see his attackers as he died.

Pikachu lay still on the ground, seeing it all, and registering nothing.

They went for his legs, and tore out his tendons, foiling his futile escape plot. They reminded the Spearow of worms, and they swallowed them hungrily, cawing for more as they feasted on his fingers.

When his screams got to be too much for them to handle, they tore out his tongue. Pikachu fell silent with shock, and said nothing as the Spearows ripped out his innards as well.

As the Spearow flew off, a bolt of lightning from the rainstorm struck the flock, killing more than half of the grouped-together Spearow.

* * *

A group of five were alerted of this the next day.

The New Order Pokemon League.

With frowns on their faces, they discussed the problem in their boardroom, a tech junkie's wildest dream. Computers beeped and hummed, and profiles were shown on the screens. The five men sat and discussed this new problem. "Sir, what on earth are we going to do?" One asked. The oldest, who looked like the clear leader, folded his hands together.

"What we always do, Tristan. We send out another Trainer. Gotta keep the ranks going, eh?" The man said. The man called Tristan piped up, "But, but, sir... we've exhausted all of our supply of children! The only girl left in Pallet Town is... that Johto girl." He said softly.

A third man frowned. "He's right. What was her name again?" The leader pulled up a file, and sighed.

"Olivia Kent. She's a girl from Johto, indeed. Blackthorn, to be exact." He peered at the face onscreen. "Thirteen years old. Passed over every year for Trainer titles, because of fear of mental instability." Tristan frowned.

"Sir? What _kind _of mental instability?" The leader sighed. "Says here she lived in Johto until she was ten. The doctors think she might inherit the Johtotian madness we see in that region." Tristan stared at the girl's picture.

"Specifically, sir? Dementia? Schizophrenia?" The leader shook his head. "I'm afraid not. You are all aware of the Viridian Disease? The one that afflicts Giovanni of Team Rocket?" They all nodded. The leader nodded, satisfied.

"Johto has that exact same strain of disease. And to top it all off, where she lived has the most potent environment to spawn this... disease. The thing is, this one is far more potent, leaving this girl able to not only heal pokemon, feel the thoughts and emotions of Pokemon, but to see their memories also. But it's only half-likely. We don't know how strong it is in her." The group nodded.

"But," He sighed, staring at the picture, "I don't believe we have a choice. Notify Oak. Tell him the circumstances, and have him alert the parent. And one more thing; keep an eye on her. If she is a threat, kill her." He turned away.

"I would rather not fulfill the quota than deal with a rebel."

We go back to Pallet Town. Back to a young girl's house.

"I fucking hate this place." The girl said, snarling at the cookie-cutter decor that the New Order League had decreed in every house. Her mother winced.

"Language, Olivia dear." She turned to her mother in anger. "Why? Because of the fucking bugs they have in this shithole?" She made an obscene gesture.

"There," She said with a satisfied smirk, "I hope they're watching." Her mother sighed, and said nothing.

They sat in silence and ate breakfast, a plain paste that might've once been oatmeal. They were interrupted by a knock on the door. Olivia's mother smoothed out her skirt, and opened the door, smiling.

"Hello, Sheila. It's nice to see you." Gary Oak, the young, lean, and much-adored professor said softly, leaning against the doorframe. His Umbreon growled a greeting by his side. Sheila simpered.

"It's so nice to see you, Professor! Please, won't you come in?" He nodded. "I most certainly will. I'm here to see young Olivia."

The girl did not say anything. Merely, she came up and petted Umbreon. The night fox purred happily, and wagged her tail gently. They shared a glance, and then Olivia looked up at Gary. "She says her feet hurt."

Sheila frowned. "Honey, I told you not to do that in front out our guests." Gary shook his head.

"It's okay, I heard you were a special little girl!" Olivia detected his falsity in the tone and timbre of his voice, but said nothing. He looked down at her, and smiled a bit too fatherly for her liking. Something was up.

"How would you like to be a Trainer, Olivia?" She blinked owlishly up at him. She looked at Umbreon. Pointing to her, she said, "Would I get something like her?" Gary chose his words carefully, not wanting to upset her. Girl trainers with Umbreon were frowned upon...

"I don't know. If you choose an Eevee, maybe." She nodded, satisfied. She said, "I suppose I can try being a Trainer. But why did the League pick me now instead of three years ago?" Gary frowned.

"Well... a boy named Ash Ketchum just died. Attacked by Spearow. And you know the rules; we have a quota to fulfill. So we decided your turn had come." Olivia looked back at her mother to see her reaction to the boy's death.

"Go pack, dear. Just think! This is your chance at glory!" She clapped her hands together, already dreaming of fame and stardom. Olivia frowned, along with Gary. She said nothing, but went upstairs and packed.

Stopping by her mirror, she looked in it, annoyed. A diminutive girl, stick thin and melancholic, stared back. Her dark brown hair fell razor-straight to her shoulders. Her nose jutted out of her face, and her too-large eyes blinked back at her, a stormy blue that matched her feelings right now. She sighed, and gathered some things.

A few Pokeballs she had kept lying around. Some money she had been saving. A hairbrush. Necessities, really. After much debate, she decided to take her simple stone charm necklace, the one with a garnet attached to a black leather string.

She smiled thinly as she got dressed. Girls were required to wear skirts, dresses, or leggings. She decided to screw them, once again, and wore a simple pair of black jeans with a Feminine-Regulation pink shirt. She scowled at the shirt, but left it on. She tied her boots on too, the tough steel-toed ones. Packing some leggings and skirts, (in case she was stopped for her jeans), she headed downstairs.

"Bye, mom. I'll call." She said, not meaning much of it, really. Her mother nodded. She wouldn't call, either. Too many listening devices.

Gary nodded to Umbreon, and all three started for the door, to head back to the lab. She looked at the bland houses, before asking Gary,

"Professor, do they think I'm insane?" Gary winced. He knew she'd catch him in a lie, so he said, "Possibly." She seemed satisfied with that answer, and said nothing for the rest of the trip.

As they walked into the lab, Olivia noticed a list.

_Feminine Starters _

_Chikorita _

_Bulbasaur (Everstone required) _

_Clefairy _

_Eevee (Espeon, Glaceon, and Vaporeon ONLY) _

_Squirtle (Everstone required) _

_Jigglypuff _

_Pichu (Everstone required) _

_Skitty _

_Nidoran (Female only)_

_Plusle/Minun _

_Totodile (Everstone required) _

_Dratini (Dragonair only) _

_Vulpix _

_Budew _

_Pachirisu_

_Buneary_

_BY DECREE OF THE NEW ORDER LEAGUE_

And another one:

_Masculine Starters _

_Charmander _

_Cyndaquil _

_Nidoran (Male only) _

_Poochyena_

_Pikachu_

_Aron _

_Dratini _

_Riolu _

_Trapinch_

_Rattata _

_Croagunk _

_Bidoof_

_BY DECREE OF THE NEW ORDER LEAGUE _

She frowned. "I don't see Charmander on my list." Gary nodded. "Charmander is for male trainers only. Sorry, kiddo." She growled.

"I want Charmander." Gary sighed. "I bet you won't say that after I show you your starter! Remember you said you wanted an Umbreon like mine? Well, here!" He went back to a tube, and pressed a button. A red-and-white pokeball was spat out into his waiting hand.

With a proud flourish, he tossed the pokeball. "He's all yours. He's my Umbreon's son, by the way." She stared passively at the Eevee that materialized. It was a grayish-brown, and kinda skinny and small.

He padded over to her, and nuzzled her leg. She stared down Gary angrily. "I can't have an Umbreon. The New Order League says so." Gary faltered.

"Uh... I guess you can have an Espeon?" Her face flushed. She gritted her teeth in rage, and shoved the Eevee away.

"I WANT CHARMANDER!" She shrieked, stomping her feet. "I HATE THIS STUPID RULE! THIS THING'S DUMB! I BET IT CAN'T EVEN FIGHT! IT'S NOT FAIR! I HATE BEING A GIRL!! I WANT CHARMANDER!" She screamed, tearing at the sleeves of her shirt.

She kicked Eevee angrily, sending him skittering. She screamed, and began to yell at the Eevee. "YOU STUPID BASTARD, YOU'RE FUCKING WEAK!! WHY THE HELL AREN'T YOU A CHARMANDER!!" She sat down, and began to dry-heave tears. "IT'S NOT FAIR!" Gary raised an eyebrow. Johto Madness, indeed.

Eevee hid in terror at his new master. She could feel his fear, and it merely added to her anger. "I HATE YOU! I HATE THE LEAGUE, I HATE EVERYONE!" Gary stared. Sighing, he quickly scribbled down something on a piece of paper, and handed it to her.

"_I'm on your side. Listen to me. Charmander still run free in the wild; catch one there. We need your help. Don't speak; this place is bugged_." He stared at her, until she grumbled, and wrote something down.

"_With what_?" The note read. Gary smiled. He got a new piece of paper, and wrote.

"_We are resisting the New Order Pokemon League. I need your help. Or, should I say, the resistance. A bunch of trainers and Professors have banded against this new League. The old Gym Leaders are gone. The Elite Four of every region are gone. And we all need and support you. If you can collect all eight Badges, and challenge the Elite Four... you __will__ win, and we will all be free_." Olivia frowned.

She wrote down, "_Why can't someone else do it_?" Gary wrote another note.

"_There are others... but we need all the help we can get. I bet you'll make a great trainer. And he's not as weak as he looks; he's my Umbreon's son, after all_." She frowned, and nodded.

"_Two questions_," She wrote. "_First, what's up with his color? Second, will I be able to find others... fighting in this resistance_?" Gary nodded, and took the paper.

"_I honestly don't know what's wrong with his color. I think he was premature; that might have something to do with it. And as for the resistance, possibly. Look for people who don't fit the gender norms that the League has decreed. A girl with a Cubone, for example. Or a boy with a Skitty. Any more questions_?" Olivia shook her head.

He scribbled down a series of numbers, and handed them to her. "Call me. If you, you know, find someone." He winked at her. "_My line's not bugged." _He whispered. Olivia nodded. He smiled, and handed her a small knapsack filled with supplies. He fastened a Translator on Eevee, and handed Olivia five more.

"Take your pokedex. Good luck, young Trainer!" He was back to his false voice, and Olivia rolled her eyes, akin to saying, "Cut the shit', only silently. Gary smirked, as she walked out the door. "Good luck, kiddo." He said softly.

She looked at Eevee. Eevee looked back at her. "You know, you're kind of a crappy pokemon." She told him, matter-of-fact. "And I did want a Charmander." Eevee faltered. She could hear him. "_Sorry..."_ She shrugged.

"I guess... you're not too bad. But you have to prove you're a good pokemon; you know, win some battles, and beat a few trainers until I catch a Charmander or something. Okay?" He nodded. "_Yeah! You're gonna be my friend!" _She smiled at him, but immediately changed it to a frown when he smirked at her.

They set off. Eevee and trainer. In a world like this one, they were either bound to succeed, or bound to die. Painfully.

But that wasn't to be discussed right now... for now, they'd just get to know each other.


	2. Is it such a sin?

(This is now, finally, in first person. Love me. It might be confusing, and I'm sorry, but I write better this way. So, how do you think the story's progressing? And for the record, I suggest you go look up Pokemon Special Manga. Why? Spoilers can't be revealed. But just do. Okay? I know it's a little short, but new chapter tomorrow, promise! I don't own Pokemon, just my OCs.)

* * *

I stared at Eevee. He stared back. I didn't say anything else, just kept walking. He had refused to stay in his pokeball, and trotted after me happily. I had rolled my eyes, but complied, because, well, what else could I do?

The other kids had started recently, and all were milling around, itching for a fight. I tried to ignore them. But I failed. "BATTLE ME! BECAUSE I'M GOING TO BE A POKEMON MASTER!" Some short ten-year-old shrieked, waving a pokeball around.

I sighed. I looked at Eevee. "Go, I guess." Eevee shook his head. "_Name! I want a name!" _I stopped. It wasn't commonplace, but when did I care? I shrugged. "If that's what you want... Jack, quick attack!" He brightened up, and sped at...

"Dratini, go!" The boy wailed. I gaped. The gender gap SUCKED. Kids shouldn't be starting with Dragon Pokemon. Or, little titholes who attacked random trainers shouldn't start with them. "Use Dragon Rage!" Jack was speedier than I gave him credit for; he slammed into Dratini, before being sent back.

"This is bullshit!" I shrieked. "Why do I get the goddamn Eevee?! Jack! Get off your ass and DO something, Arceus damn you!" He rolled his eyes at me, and tackled the Dratini.

"Hey! Let's have a Double Battle!" Another overeager kid squalled, throwing out his pokeball. It was a Tyrogue. Which Jack was weak against.

Again, this is bullshit.

"I only have one Pokemon." I told the idiot boys, clones with their crewcuts and caps. They grinned.

"Who cares? Go Tyrogue! Use Double Kick!" I felt like screaming. These kids were little shits, honestly. Who lets little kids go on journeys?

Jack was getting his ass handed to him. I'd checked his moves, and he had nothing that worked well against Fighting-types; his strongest moves were Shadow Ball and Bite, but... I got it.

"Jack! Dig!" I told him. He burrowed his way down. "Jump into the hole!" I winced. Hadn't thought that one out completely. After a few minutes, they dragged out a bruised and bleeding Jack. The boys were laughing at my pokemon...

"FUCK YOU!" I shrieked. I raced over to them, and proceeded to kick their asses. I smashed my fist in the brown-haired one's face, and kneed the other one in the crotch, giggling evilly.

...Perhaps there was something to that 'Johto Madness' idea.

The Tyrogue and Dratini were going at him pretty bad, however. I felt so guilty... I jumped off the kids. "Jack! Run!" I scooped him up, and sped off like the hounds of Darkrai were on my ass.

I set him down near Viridian. "Well. That went well." I said sarcastically. He nodded, and mewled at me. I rolled my eyes. "Okay. Our first order of business is to get to Viridian Forest. Then I want another pokemon, because if everyone's starting with fucking Dratini, I need some more." Jack nodded.

"And you." He flinched, afraid I was going to yell. I sighed. "Weren't too bad. You had a disadvantage, is all." He brightened up. I flipped open my pokedex, and checked the area around Viridian. Pachirisu, a squirrel pokemon from Sinnoh, populated it, along with Pikachu.

I liked Raichu and... grudgingly, I admitted to liking Pachirisu. It was cute, is all. I hated myself. First a shitty Eevee, then this thing... though it would be an asset against the Water Gym Leader; the new one, Kristina.

I looked at Jack. "We should get going." I set off, Jack padding along beside me. It wasn't long before I encountered another Trainer, this one another male.

"Want to battle?" He demanded, and before I could refuse, he'd tossed out a pokeball. Kids, right, gotta love 'em. Jesus. It was a Tyrogue. The thing sat there, waving its hands in the air. I sighed.

"Jack! Dig!" He dove underground, and just like before, Tyrogue dove in. But Jack had already buried his way back up again, and came from behind to Tackle the brute.

"Double Kick! As much as you can!" Tyrogue, with the advantage of hands, punted Jack around like a soccer ball, heaving him up in the air only to go at it again. I growled in annoyance. He didn't know any attacks that could fix this situation, nor did I have another pokemon. And he was still so tired...

He was already past fainting, and was now bleeding heavily. His frail body heaved, and he coughed up blood. "Leave him alone!" I cried, the words sounding weak even to my ears.

"Ragnarok, Hyper Beam!" A female voice yelled. I looked up. Jack's eyes had closed from pain, and when the beam struck, and he was blasted back, he whimpered. He didn't even open an eye to acknowledge my presence. He was weak. Honestly, why couldn't I just have a Charmander? I was already fighting this goddamn League, who CARED about gender norms?!

But my savior, my savior, had made her appearance. Her head was shaved, the fuzz dyed a mellow forest green. Her leather jacket flapped in the wind, and it appeared to be about five sizes too big for her. A plaid skirt and white tank top completed her crazed-punker-lunatic-child-of-Beezlebub image. She strolled up to the kid, and stepped on his hand.

With her steel boots, I figured this would hurt; I believe it did, as he started to wail. "Leave the fox alone, huh? Go train somewhere else. Leave the kid alone." A huge Gyarados behind her seemed to agree with this sentiment. The kid scowled at me like it was MY fault, and left.

She turned to me. "Hey. Your Eevee's almost dead, so if you want him to live, you might wanna haul ass to a Pokemon Center." She nodded to a hovercycle whirring nearby. (Think of Wes' from Pokemon Coliseum) C'mon, I'll take you there."

I looked at Jack, and sighed. "C'mon, Useless." Though it was a cruel term, the tone of my voice betrayed my concern. He whisked his tail weakly. I recalled him, and practically threw myself in my savior's sidecar.

As we sped past scenery, she turned to me. "Name's Anna Montgomery. You?" I shrieked over the gears, "Olivia Kent! And this is Jack, the Useless Eevee!" She snorted in laughter, and sped faster.

I rushed into the Pokemon Center, and thrust his pokeball at Nurse Joy. "Some kid's Tyrogue beat him up, please help Jack!" She nodded mechanically, and handed the pokeball off to Chansey.

Anna looked at me as we sat down. "So, I take it you're a rookie? At this age?" I sighed. "They passed me over every year 'cause I was from Johto. And Professor Oak gave me Useless, and we set off, I guess." She nodded.

"Gary? I see... Did he say anything to you in _writing_?" I blinked. Then it hit me. She knew. I should've expected from the Gyarados, but I wasn't sure...

"He did. You're..." She nodded grimly. "Don't speak of it here. We'll talk later." Nurse Joy interrupted us.

"I recommend you capture another Pokemon; this one won't be in any condition to fight for a few days." I frowned, and took Jack's pokeball, nodding. She smiled. "We hope to see you again!"

And that got Anna going.

"Crazy bitch. It's like she WANTS to have Pokemon hurt. And what's with this 'We' shit? It's just her and those weird fuckin' Chansey. What the hell's with them, anyway?" Anna rambled on angrily.

I said nothing, just released Jack. He looked up at me. "_Hi, Livvy!" _I couldn't help but smile. "Hey, Useless. C'mere." I sat him in my lap, and placed my palm on his head wound. My hand glowed a soft white, and Anna stared in amazement as Jack's wounds healed quickly as anything.

"Whoa." She said quietly. "I see." I scooped him up, and gestured to the hovercycle. "Viridian Forest ho." She shook her head, and snorted.

"Kid, you don't know what you're getting into." I sat in the sidecar, and adjusted the helmet.

"Maybe it's better off that way."

We sped off, as the sun started to set. She growled in frustration. "Dammit." She braked the cycle in front of Viridian Forest. The trees stretched imposingly in front of us. "Dammit all to hell. Let's make camp, and you can meet the crew."

She started a fire, and sat down. I sat across from her, unsure of what to make of Anna. She smiled at me.

"I don't bite, you know." She selected five Pokeballs, and threw them out.

Ragnarok, the Gyarados from before, waved at me with a fin. The others were equally tough-looking and gender-nonconforming. Now I knew she had to be a part of the Resistance.

A Gallade with a scar running up one of his blades nodded at me. He was a strange color for a Gallade; he was a cerulean blue, just like Jack was a strange color as well. I didn't think much of it, however; since I have never seen a Gallade closely, I might be wrong.

He nodded at me, and smiled. "_Wotcher, Livvy. Name's Akira." _I blinked. "Hi." No one had ever called me Livvy before besides Jack.

A skinny, bedraggled Mightyena growled an acknowledgement at me. "_Lucifer." _I raised an eyebrow, and nodded.

A Banette with a cataract over one eye leered at me. He nodded. "_Name's Jupetta. Pleasure, kid." _I shook his hand, and smiled at him.

And finally, a Flygon with a cracked set of eye goggles, who flapped a wing in hello. "_Hello. My name is Subakami." (1)_

I nodded, and shook her claw. "_Right, luv. Anna, what was wit' the sudden recall? Rude." _Anna smiled at the Gallade. "Sorry, Akira." And then she did the most disturbing thing I'd ever seen.

She brushed her lips gently across Gallade's. I gasped. She pulled away, and sighed. "Right. You were raised against the backdrop of the League." I gaped.

"Pokephilia! But it's a... sin. Right?" I said softly. She shook her head.

"Now it is. It wasn't a long time ago. People married Pokemon all the time. No one saw it as wrong. But after the New Order League, marriage was sanctified only if it was a male and female human." She sighed in sadness, and leaned against Akira, who held her steady.

"_Right. But they made the act of love a sin only because it suited their purposes. Buggers." _Akira grumbled. Anna nodded.

I looked down at Jack. Falling in love with a Pokemon... how strange. Yet, I couldn't honestly see anything wrong with it. I mean, it's just love, right? No reason to be so uptight about it.

Jack smiled up at me. He purred, and I picked him up, stroking him. "Okay, I get it. Sorry if I insulted you." She waved a hand. "No prob, kid. Go to bed, alright? We've got some Pokemon catching to do tomorrow." I smiled.

I was finally on my journey. Just like everyone talked about. I'd had to wait another three years, but it was worth it, just to feel that excitement.

As we settled down, I asked her one last question; "How old are you?" She rolled over and spoke sleepily. "Sixteen, doll. You're thirteen, right?" I nodded. She seemed satisfied with that, and rolled over to start snoring again.

Jack snuggled down in my arms as we both fell asleep together. I looked down at him, and scratched his ear listlessly, liking the feel of fur between my fingers.

"_Loving a pokemon... Well, why not? Seems like... something I might do..." _I fell asleep at that, thinking of nothing else afterward.

* * *

(1)- Subakami, roughly translated, means something like Desert God, which seemed like a good name for a Flygon. 


	3. For me to take what's mine

(Behold random Satanic Squirrels and PMS. And that is all I have to say for this chapter. Don't own, Nintendo does.)

* * *

The next morning, we awoke. "_Wotcher, Livvy." _Akira chirped, obviously a morning person. "Wotcher, Akira." I grumbled, and scrambled around for a cup of coffee.

I poured the powdered coffee mix into the cup, and added milk, drinking it quickly as we walked. "So, any idea of what you want to catch?" Anna asked me.

"I don't know. Maybe a Pikachu, or a Pachirisu, but only if they're tough." She frowned. "You know the first gym's Rock-type, right?" I nodded.

"Yeah, I do. But Jack knows Dig, and that's gonna be a huge asset." She nodded thoughtfully.

We walked quietly throughout the forest. It was goregeous, a deep green everywhere you looked. Silence was broken only by cheerful pokemon calls.

Until someone ruined it.

"_BEHOLD! I AM SATAN!" _We all stopped. Lucifer growled. "_A challenge to my title?" _He snarled.

A Pachirisu was yelling at some poor little Caterpie. The Pachirisu was foaming at the mouth just a bit, and his eyes were the color of dried blood. He was berating the Caterpie for simply existing, roaring, "_YOU DARE CHALLENGE THE RULE OF LORD SATAN, PRINCE OF DARKNESS!?" _He swiveled his head around to stare at us.

"_You! Humans! You challenge the rule of Satan!?" _I rolled my eyes. "You're not Satan. You're a blue goddamn squirrel. Leave the Caterpie alone. Oh, and it's Lord Lucifer Morningstar. Don't mess with Gaiman." (1) Caterpie scooted off, grateful for our intervention.

The Pachirisu snarled at us. "_Damn. Shut up, girl. How do YOU know? Huh? See, I got Satanic Head Bitey!" _And with that, he opened his mouth, displaying a giant set of fangs, before clamping on Akira's head.

"_Ow! NOT FETCH, NOT FETCH!" _I didn't care much about the Gallade, but really for the fact that this thing was some sort of inbred saber-tooth tiger.Anna rolled her eyes. "Want the squirrel? Get him off Akira, if you don't mind." I stared at him.

Someone so obviously insane could only be a fun partner. So I made my decision. "Pokeball, go!" I whacked the Pachirisu over the head with my hand, and chucked a Pokeball at him.

It shook once, twice, three times, and dinged. I stared at it. Anna burst out laughing. "Okay, you got your Pachirisu." Then she smirked. "By using physical force, I see." I rolled my eyes, and glared at her. "Hey, don't question my method."

I chucked the Pokeball, and called him out. He flicked his tail, and grumbled at me. "_You. Trainer girl. You better not be one of those 'aww, pretty little squirrely' types. Else I'll have to kill you." _I glanced down at him.

"I won't act like that only if you stop calling yourself Satan." He thought for a bit, and asked, "_Can I keep the Satanic Head Bitey?" _I shrugged. Well, it seemed like a good move, if he could attack Akira like that. "Eh, why not. Welcome to the team, Grimwald."

He seemed to like this name, and leaped up on my shoulder. Jack wagged his tail at the sight of a new friend. "_Not fetch." _Akira grumbled. Anna laughed at him.

With Grimwald, we made it through the forest pretty quick. Everyone seemed to be terrified of him, Pokemon and trainers alike. Anna raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. "So, how many badges do you have, Anna?" I asked her. She displayed a badge case with eight badges.

"I didn't make the cut off for the League challenges. So I've got to wait until this year's competition. Not like I mind." I stared.

"Wow, eight badges." She nodded. "Cool, huh? And now you've got to win your first one." I sighed, and shook my head.

We reached Pewter City by nightfall, and headed to the Pokemon Center. The other trainers milled about. "Aww, how cute is he! What a cute little Pachirisu!" One young girl chirped, petting Grimwald.

He didn't look all that thrilled about the attention; not like I cared, it was funny as hell. _"Fuck you." _I heard him grumble mentally. With that attitude, I decided not to relay his mental message. Just for the sake of not getting everyone to stare at me.

Everyone's mental readings were hard to figure out; Lucifer was annoyed, that much I could tell. Did not like his claim challenged. Subakami and Jupetta were playing a game of Go. Jupetta was winning, and Suba was pissed.

Jack was missing, though it didn't trouble me much. He'd be back. Akira was worried for Anna; her clothing and hair (or lack thereof) was attracting stares.

Anna wasn't paying attention. She was dialing a number on her cell phone.

"Pick up the _phone, _Red..." She grumbled angrily.

-_Unknown Location, 3__rd__ person POV_-

Red paced the floor of the headquarters angrily. "Dammit, Anna! What did I SAY about staying out so late..." He sighed in relief as the phone rang.

"_Why is a raven like a writing desk?" _Red spoke, initiating the code. On the other line; "_Fuck you, dude, I have news!" _He smirked. "_Only you, doll. So, the news?" _Anna told him.

"_There's a new girl. Olivia Kent, from Blackthorn. She has the Johto Madness." _Red dropped the phone. He scrambled to grab it, as Anna continued. "_She's exhibited all the signs. She's been violent, she can heal Pokemon, and she can understand their thoughts. Gary gave her an Eevee, and she's caught a Pachirisu." _Red frowned.

"_I see. I thought we were __against__ the gender norms, Anna. What's with the damn Pachirisu?" _She sighed. "_This thing's a crazyass motherfucker. I'm not kidding. And I'll get her something good soon; she seems like a good type for something tough, insane as she is." _He nodded.

"_Stay with her. If she's taking her first gym challenge, we'll try to be there. Be careful." _Anna breathed a sigh of relief. "_Will you all be there, Red?" _He nodded. "_We always are for new members, aren't we?"_

Red hung up the phone. Sighing, he called for Silver and Gold.

Back at the Pokemon Center, I was unaware of this conversation, and had fallen asleep.

Outside, Jack was pounding himself against a tree. "_I will be stronger! For Livvy!" _He told himself. He fired Shadow Balls at it until he collapsed from exhaustion. "_For Livvy..." _His voice trailed off, and the silvery Eevee fell asleep.

The next morning...

"_Wake up, you fat bitch. We don't have all day." _Grimwald hissed in my ear. I rolled out of bed, and with a thud, was woken up by pain. "Ow." I sat up, and since we were going to a New Order League Gym Battle, put on a skirt and blouse. I grumbled angrily, aware of everyone laughing at me.

"Shut up. Just shut the hell up." I grumbled. Anna chuckled as we started the hovercycle. "_I'm ready! Don't leave me!" _Jack hopped into my lap. I gasped. "Oh yeah, I forgot about you." He growled at me.

"_I've been practicing." _I nodded. "Good, you'll need the practice." We rode the short way to the gym in silence. I noticed a small crowd of people filing in. I caught a flash of red hair and glasses. I must've been seeing things. It was in no way Lorelei, the original Ice Master... right?

I went in, and registered. "Your battle starts in ten minutes. Go heal your Pokemon." The assistant told me. I nodded, and checked them over before going out to stare at the stadium.

"I don't like this, Gold." Silver muttered angrily, glaring at his boyfriend. "You know damn well we're being hunted." Gold grinned at him. "Would you relax? This kid's got Johto Madness, it's going to be good..." He brushed his lips across Silver's cheek, and laughed.

Sneasel rolled her eyes at his antics, but leaned against the wall, and wisely said nothing.

"Welcome to the battle of Pewter City! Our first match, Olivia Kent of Blackthorn, and Leader Roger Graystone of Pewter!" The announcer thundered.

I strode out, shivering in fright. The stadium was so big...

A man in his twenties greeted me. He had silvery-white hair, and black eyes. His outfit was simple; a white suit with a starkly black shirt. He bowed to me.

"You may choose the first pokemon." I tucked Grimwald's pokeball away from sight, and called out Jack.

Gold and Silver raised eyebrows in unison. "Do you think she knows he's shiny?" Silver asked. Gold shook his head. "I don't think so. Look, she's using him to fight. Most Shining Breeders never fight with theirs."

Anna met up with Red, and raised an eyebrow. "So. You ready?" He shrugged. "We'll see."

Roger tossed out an Onix. The rock snake roared a challenge. "Jack! Don't freak! Use Dig!" He burrowed under ground in a hole so small, Onix couldn't fit down there.

"Earthquake!" Roger ordered. I flinched. That was twice as strong if the opponent was underground. "Double damn! Jack, Shadow Ball!" I wasn't expecting him to fling himself out of the hole, but he did, flying at Onix.

He struck him, and I noticed he was inside the ball of energy. I thought it was an interesting strategy; almost like a Ghost-type Volt Tackle or Flare Blitz, but without the recoil damage.

He huffed as he stared up at Onix. "Slam!" Roger ordered. I thought quickly. "Jack! Up on Onix's head!" He leapt up there, which gave me time to think. Then I got it.

"Jack! Use Shadow Ball!" It was perfect. Onix couldn't reach him, and he could strike with impunity.

"Shake him off!" Roger ordered. I smirked. "That won't work." As Jack gripped the horn on Onix's head, Onix slammed his head into the wall of the stadium, and slumped down, unconscious. Jack jumped down primly, and began to wash.

"What'd I tell you?" Anna crowed to Red. He said nothing, just shook his head and smiled. Roger frowned. "Alright, so you beat Onix. But you can't beat my next Pokemon! Go, Shieldon!" I stared at the strange creature. Its shield was tough, and it wouldn't affect him much if Grimwald or Jack slammed his head against the wall.

He then tripped, and fell face first into the dirt.

I raised an eyebrow. That, I did not see coming.

"Jack's tired. So, Grimwald! You're up!" I picked up Jack, and sent out the Pachirisu.

Everyone stared at the electric squirrel. "Sweet Mew." Silver muttered angrily. Gold shook his head.

Everyone was pretty shocked at the Pachirisu. Though, to be honest, most of them were probably thrilled I'd have a humiliating defeat.

I smirked. "You don't know my secret weapon. Satanic Head Bitey, Grimwald!" The Pachirisu flung himself at Shieldon, jumping over the shielded head, and clamping down on the tail.

Shieldon spazzed out, and began running around the stadium comically, screaming in Pokemon. Grimwald held fast, and only opened his mouth to scream,

"_YOU SHALL FEAR YOUR LORD AND MASTER SATAN!!!" _He roared. "HEY! WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT BEING SATAN, DAMN YOU!?" I screamed at him.

"...Oh." Sapphire said softly. "Look Ruby, he's insane." Ruby nodded. "I noticed."

Gold was laughing hysterically, and Silver was biting his lip in an attempt not to smile.

Lady Berlitz, Diamond, and Pearl all watched quietly. "Wow. Cool, huh, Chatlord?" Pearl said softly. Chatlord nodded. "_Crazy ass motherfucker, raaarwk! Chatot!" _Berlitz glared at him, and Pearl shrunk back. "It's not my fault he's got a foul mouth..."

"Wow." Red finally said. Yellow giggled. Anna was slightly stunned by Grimwald's display of power, but hey, whatever worked.

I was too. "Uh, okay... Grimwald! Throw him!" I yelled. He chucked the Shieldon about halfway across the Stadium, and then tackled it. With a final Crunch attack, he had fainted it.

"Match goes to Olivia Kent!" The announcer said. I gaped. "_We did it!" _Jack said happily. I nodded slowly. "I guess." My first victory!

Well, come on, after the fact that I've gotten my ass kicked in every Pokemon battle I've fought so far, this is a nice achievement.

* * *

(1: Ever read _The Sandman? _Yup, Lord Lucifer Morningstar. Kickass name, natch.) 


	4. Until the end of Time?

(I'm sorry if Giovanni is a little OOC. I wanted to show how much he loves Silver. He'll be better in his next appearance, I promise.And for the record, this is Manga!Giovanni. The TR we know doesn't play a role in this so far. So, what do you think? I'm trying to get to the action, but it'll have to wait until next chapter. Sorry. But that'll be up tomorrow, so just wait! I don't own, Nintendo does and I'm just a teenage geek writing fics. Okay?)

* * *

I accepted the Boulder Badge, and Roger smiled coldly at me. I blinked in surprise, and took off quickly as I could. 

Anna met up with me, a strange person by her side. He looked like a trainer, but he had no regulated crewcut and backwards cap. His eyes glittered with warmth as he looked at me.

"Hello, Olivia. My name is Red." I nodded. "Do I know you?" He shook his head. "You will soon. Come with us, please." I followed him quickly out to the grounds before Mount Moon. Why?

Good question. But I thought I could trust them. Don't ask me how; I had a feeling.

"Come on, guys. Let's go..." He muttered impatiently. "Dammit Ruby! We are NOT catching a goddamn Clefairy!" I heard a slightly girlish male voice.

"But I waaaannnnaaa..." The angry female voice screamed in a high-pitched tone. "For fuck's sake—Oh, hi Red." Red was laughing softly.

"Hello, Sapphire." The auburn-haired girl looked at me with an expression of amusement. "Hello, Mad Johto Girl." I nodded. "Hi, Sapphire." She grinned.

"Ronono! Go get Ruby!" She called out an Aggron, who stomped over to Ruby, and picked him up, tossing him down at Sapphire's feet. "Love you too, bitch." He grumbled. Sapphire kicked him in annoyance. 

The boy looked up at me, white hat falling off of black hair. "Hello, I'm Ruby. You're that crazy Johto girl." I rolled my eyes. 

A group of trainers tromped through the bushes. "We have to keep moving. It's not safe staying here." A woman with red hair and glasses said softly. I gaped. "You really were Lorelei." She nodded. 

We rushed off into the darkness of the Mountain. "Pika! Flash!" Red called. He lit up the area, and we sat down by a stalactite, and waited. 

"Yeah, nice welcome." A boy with forked golden hair muttered. "Ah, Emerald!" Red said happily. "Yup." The boy said proudly. A Sceptile by his side preened his pine-tree tail.

"Let's get to the base. The others can find us there." Anna said. I was confused as hell, but followed anyway. Red sighed. "I always forget which one's the secret entrance button." The Pikachu by his side rolled his eyes in annoyance. 

Ruby kicked at a rock, and a door slid open. "I guess this one." A meeting room loomed before me. I blinked. "Wow." Grimwald poked a computer, and then hid in my hair when it beeped at him. 

"Dammit, thanks a lot! Fuckin' ditched us, man! How fuckin' rude! Fuckin' hell... fuck, I guess." I giggled, as a boy who looked a bit like Red bounced in, an embarrassed boy with red hair by his side.

"...This is Gold. He's hyper. That's Silver. He's emo. And I'm Crystal. It's nice to meet you." A girl with blue-black hair in forked pigtails said to me. I nodded in bemusement. 

Red sighed. "Where are the others?" Crystal glared at him. "You really expect about thirty-two Gym Leaders and 14 Elite Four, along with three Champions to make it here, along with our group?" Red inched back from Crystal, wisely saying nothing. 

"Okay, okay. I take five minutes bringing _your _girlfriend here, and you bitch and moan about it. Nice, Red." A boy who looked a bit like a younger Professor Oak said in annoyance. A girl with blonde hair tucked under a hat waved. The brunette female raised an eyebrow at me. 

"Hi! I'm Yellow! This is Green, and the girl's Blue!" The girl with the blonde hair said. I nodded. "...Girlfriend, Red?" I asked. He blushed. "Shut up." 

"Chatlord! Stop echoing off the walls, you'll give us away!" A boy with crazily styled blonde hair rushed in. A boy with a strange cap, and a girl with a short pink skirt walked in after him. "_Fuck you, raawrk! Chatot! Fuck yuh-hooo_! _Chatot!_" Everyone was silent. Then the blonde said,

"I didn't teach him that." 

"...Hello. I'm Lady Berlitz. The blonde imbecile is Pearl, and the weirdo is Diamond. And the stupid bird is Chatlord." The girl said, exasperated. I stared at all these people.

"And there's more, but let's get started. We're the Resistance Order." Red told me. 

"And we need your help. Oak gave you a Pokedex, which means he knew you'd be on our side. You're a product of Johto Madness, and—" 

Blue checked her phone. "Oh, and the others can't make it. They were getting tailed, and said they'd meet up with you later." Red frowned.

"Dammit. Anyways, as I was saying, you've managed to win the first gym, and give us all some hope. We need your help, simple as that. We can't win the League, since we're supposed to have been killed by the New Order League ages ago." I nodded.

"So, I suppose I get a weird color name like you guys, right?" He grumbled. "Actually, yes, I got named Red by my parents. But I suppose a codename will help, especially if you're going to be in the League." I brightened up.

"And you'll need traveling companions. Gold and Silver will go with you, since they're the ones who are better off going FAR away from mechanical equipment."

"Go fuck yourself and die." Silver muttered. Gold giggled, until he realized he was being insulted, and he yelped, "HEY!" 

Red ignored them. "Ruby and Sapphire will meet up with you whenever they can, which is most of the time, because Sapphire likes to travel, and we'll all try to do the same." I nodded impatiently.

"Do I get a codename now?" I rushed. Everyone sighed. "Do you really need one? This isn't a game—" I had had it. I slammed my hands down on the table, and snarled at Red.

"You're the same age as me, so shut the fuck up. Don't you think I know that? We've obviously all got motherfucking stakes in whatever stupid fucking war you think you've got planned." Everyone continued to stare at me. Silently, Diamond, Roo, and Beh munched on their potato chips.

_Silently_.

"I can go the hell away from here, and live my own life. It's _that_ easy; I've got skills and age on my side, and maybe I can get a job as a Gym Leader or whatever. I don't need you. Why I am doing this? Because I am so sick of _people telling me how I can and can't live my fucking life. _That includes you, Red." I took a breath. 

"So don't tell me this isn't a goddamn game; because it is. We're all fucking with each other in the hopes that the other side will fuck up, and we'll win. Goddamnit, I know that! It's a game, but it's a dangerous goddamn game, and I don't think _**you **_know that, you arrogant son of a whoring bitch!" I finished, breathing heavily.

Red stared at me for a long, long minute. Then he sighed. "You really have a temper, you do know that, correct?" I screamed, "I JUST FUCKING EXPLODED ON YOU, AND YOU DON'T CARE?" He raised an eyebrow and laughed. 

"No, not really. You showed quite a bit of feral intelligence there; I'm impressed, actually. Fine, take your stupid codename. How about..." He paused. "Livid." 

I stared. "What?" Gold asked. Red nodded. "Temper, temper, remember. And it sounds like Olivia, doesn't it?" I stopped. 

_Livid. _

"It has a nice ring to it." I said softly. He nodded. "Good. Now, we should try to get you four throughout Mt. Moon, and be careful; Rockets are in abundance here, and they're more likely to shoot first and ask questions later. Got it?" We all nodded.

Gold took out a pokeball. "Togetaro can handle it!" I stared at the little... egg... thing... that appeared. "_Oy, anyone up for a game of dice? Poker's good, too—who's got cash?" _Silver glared at Gold.

"We talked about this! Togetaro is a bad influence on Sneasel and Gyarados!" Gold became sarcastic, and mocked in a high-pitched whine, "_Toge-fuking-taro is a bad influence on Sneasel and fucking Gyarados!"_

"HEY!" I said indignantly. "I'm the only one allowed to mock people in a whiny and sarcastic tone, damn you!" As we engaged in a three-way argument, Togetaro played craps with Pika and Saur. 

Togetaro won.

"Um, don't we have to go now, or something?" Silver finally ventured. Red rolled his eyes, and muttered something under his breath involving retarded addict enablers and emo bastard boyfriends, but nodded.

"Yes. So move." He handed me a cell phone. "This is the only un-bugged line we can trust beside Oak's; call us only on this. Now scoot, Livid." He finally found the secret button door, and watched us out. 

"They might die, Red." Yellow said softly. Red sighed, and nodded. "I'm completely aware. But I think they'll be okay." We left Anna's hovercycle at the base of the mountain, as it was too tough to drag it along.

"Damn, girl, you fucked with Red pretty bad back there!" Gold crowed. "And what's with this Johto Madness deal? We're both from Johto, and we're not... okay, we're not violent. Insane, possibly." He asked me. I shrugged.

"Well, it's like this. Kanto is the 'Purest' region, being the first one discovered and claimed as a Region. Johto should be "Pure", but after almost seven years of being trapped in a strange force, most of Johto—" Silver nodded.

"Right, they said it was insane. I remember that, and I remember the quarantine; but the Madness?" I continued. "A more mutated version of the Viridian power; I can hear Pokemon's minds and heal them and such, but I got a violent side with the gifts." Gold nodded, and tapped his billiard stick on his shoulder.

"Right. Like Yellow. Only crazy." I rolled my eyes. "Yes. Anyways, continuing with the Region's "Purity Rankings", Hoenn is classified as a wild card, and lacking in features that Johto and Kanto have. Kind of moderate in decent trainers; there's the Frontier Brains, and the Rebels, I suppose, along with Steven Stone and Wallace, but nothing major in the League's eyes. And you know how Coordinating went." They all nodded.

Most male Coordinators were either in hiding with the Rebels, or dead. They'd outlawed males in Coordinating ages ago; said it produced "a homosexual evil" of some sort. 

There were a few survivors, who were presumed dead or with the Rebels; Drew Rosalind, Harley Davidson, Kenny something-or-other, and Robert Dashirou. And Ruby Birch, but he was obviously alive.

"Hey, that reminds me; do you have Coordinators in your ranks?" I asked. Gold nodded.

"Yup, I think there's quite a few, male and female. And I think the Hoenn Champ, Robert, along with two boys, Drew something, and uh... Harley, yeah, him, are working in a base in Hoenn. That's all I know, since Kanto doesn't have many problems with male Coordinators." I nodded. "And Sinnoh?" Silver asked. I finished.

"They're mostly a budding Region. No one knows much about them, but at first glance, they seem eager to become much like Kanto; meaning a hotbed of fascism or what have you." The boys both nodded, taking in all that information.

"So, shall we go?" Anna said, looking up at the caves. Silver checked a map. "Looks like we're supposed to go through that one, come out that way, and go through that. Then we'll be in Cerulean." I rolled my eyes. 

"So where's that one?" He faltered. "...The one with the rocks?" I rolled my eyes, and went forward. "Wait! Fossil Cave! We have to go into it, and it's right above us!" Silver rushed. I looked up. 

"Okay... do either of you have a Flying Pokemon?" Anna called out Subakami. Silver and Gold looked at each other, and fumbled for a pokeball. "Murkrow!" An abnormally large Murkrow phased out of his pokeball. He flapped his wings, and bobbed his head as I asked, "Uh, can that carry you two?" Silver shrugged.

"One at a time, I suppose." Silver took Murkrow first, and he did manage to get up there, but I didn't imagine Murkrow was all that thrilled about it. To save poor Murkrow, Gold went up with us on Subakami, who did a rolling dive just to freak us all out. 

We got up there, and I fingered the fossils trenched in the cave gently, not wanting to destroy some Kabuto or whatever. 

"Silver! My boy, long time no see!" I screeched. "Holy CRAP!" Giovanni, leader of Team Rocket, had just hugged Silver. "Hi, dad." I blinked.

"Whoa, wait, uh, back up. Your dear old dad is the leader of Team Rocket?" Giovanni nodded slowly, unsure of what to make of me.

"_I IDOLIZE you, good sir, simply IDOLIZE you. Perhaps we should have a discussion sometime. I deal in evil, after all." _Grimwald jumped down from his pokeball, and extended a stubby paw. Giovanni simply continued to stare.

"Um. Yes, certainly, someday soon." He was controlling a fit of laughter, but Grimwald seemed not to notice. I bit my lip in an attempt not to laugh. "Dad? You're here for Red, right?" I blinked.

"Okay, why? I thought Team Rocket was evil..." That, most of the world had agreed on. Giovanni shrugged. "The New Order League wants me dead. Red and I are reaching a common goal; to bring them down." He said this with little emotion, as if he was discussing the weather. I nodded. Giovanni, above all else, was a powerful ally. 

He looked down at my Eevee. "How rare. A shining Pokemon." I blinked. "A what?" Silver and Gold looked at each other. "So, you really didn't know." Silver said. I was getting frustrated. "Know WHAT, goddamnit?" 

Giovanni cut through, his voice smooth. "You see, a premature Pokemon hasn't become 'normalized' in the Egg yet, and..." Gold burst in; being the Hatcher, he was the expert on these things.

"Yeah, they turn Shining, 'cause of some old custom of Pokemon being pets or whatever, and they were all shiny, then they weren't. Yeah, basically, it's why Jack's a weird color, and why he is so skinny and small; he's a preemie, making him a shiny too." I nodded.

I'd vaguely heard of shinies before; nowadays, they were put down, due to their 'freakishness' and 'corruption of Pure Pokemon'. But I didn't realize Jack was shiny, having never seen a Shining Eevee for myself.

I sighed, and wondered why color was such a big deal for some people. Jack nodded, and it occurred to me that Pokemon could probably hear and see my thoughts as well.

Which might be interesting, but also could be a pain in the ass, seeing as I was an open book.

Getting back to reality, I asked Giovanni where the hell Cerulean City was. He laughed, pointed to a darker brown cavern just past the one we were in, and hugged Silver one last time before leaving. 

"...He really loves you, doesn't he?" I asked Silver softly. He nodded. "Yeah, I'm the only one allowed to see that side of him, I suppose. Why, doesn't your dad act like that around you?" I blinked up at him, and raised an eyebrow.

"...He's dead." I said shortly. Gold barged into our conversation, and yelled, "Whoa! How'd that happen?" I snorted.

"Committed suicide after he found out my mom was pregnant with a girl. Wanted a boy, so he'd become League Champion." Gold frowned.

"...Did they ever find the body?" I shook my head. "No, no, just a note... why?" Gold shook his head. "Just wondering..." 

The truth was, he wasn't as dead as everyone thought. No, he was very much alive.

And responsible for all this mess, in fact.


	5. We were more than friends

(I just want to say I LOVE how Kristina came out. She's one of my favorites, in all honesty. Anyways, I really hope you like this new chapter; now, we get to some plot, and some action, baby! I don't own, Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri do. I am a geek writing fics.

Anyways, a final note; if you can recognize the glitch from RBY in the end of the chapter, I will give you virtual cake! Oh, and also; guess what band wrote an album of the same name of Olivia's new Pokemon.)

* * *

_There is a man._

_He sits in his chair._

_Beware the man._

"_Aaah, Roger. My son, today is the day you begin your journey, correct?" Morgan Kent leaned back in his chair, staring at his son. "Yep! I got a Riolu! His name is Rukario!" Morgan nodded. "I see." He'd already known his son was to get a Riolu; it had been requested by the Champ himself, and his word was law. The Riolu gazed up at him, and waved. _

_It was a powerful Riolu; at the Champion of the New Order's request, it had been bred to know Aura Sphere, Mach Punch, Extremespeed, and Poison Jab, all at level five. _

_A happy little thing. He noted that it had quite a bit of muscle under its fur. "Well, you came to say goodbye, right?" Roger nodded. "And I've got a question. Who's this girl in the picture you've got?" He held up a picture of a girl with brown hair and blue eyes._

_Morgan smiled thinly. "...No one, Roger. Just a girl I've kept my eye on." _

Once we'd reached Cerulean City, Gold begged to go to the beach. Togetaro whined we weren't at the Game Corner yet, and Silver just observed the town quietly. 

Anna had buggered off to check out the Nugget Bridge, and me?

I was lost as hell, trying to find the Gym. "Dammit." I muttered, annoyed. "Where is the thing!" I raised an eyebrow at Jack, who was frolicking in a puddle. "You'll get pneumonia, stupid." I scolded him, picking him up, and pressing his wet body against my stomach, which made me shiver from the cold water. 

He mewled in surprise, and pointed to a weird looking Coliseum. I blinked at the prize. "A Pokemon?" I filled with hope. Charmander, here I come! 

...But the requirement was two badges. I swore. Now I absolutely NEEDED to find this gym. NOW. 

I spied a blonde young lady with bags under her eyes, who wore the Gym Leader's badge of certification. I rushed over to her. "Ma'am! Is your gym open for today?" She looked at me. Seeing me, but not quite seeing me, she mumbled, "Yuh... soon as I get my... fix..." I watched her go, and Grimwald hissed into my ear, "_Well, follow her, dope! Go!" _I nodded, and rushed off.

She whispered some words to a man in the alleyway, and grabbed a baggie of pills discreetly. Grimwald sniffed the air. "_I recognize those!" _He hissed. "_They're weight-loss pills! I think pretty strong ones, too, if she's getting them this way." _I wanted to ask him how he knew that, but he figured it out from my expression, and said, "_Some girl who tried to catch me took 'em. Nasty buggers, they are." _I nodded.

I shrunk against the shadowy backdrop of the alley as she passed, and quietly tailed her as she walked back to her Gym, swallowing the pills. 

She turned around, and I saw a dribble of blood flow out of her mouth, but before I could blink, she'd wiped it away, and fled to the Gym. I sighed, and went for the others.

"So she's a junkie." Silver stated flatly. I sighed. "You don't know the half of it." 

Most females, besides skirts and heels, were ordered to have certain hair color, weight, and height, if they wanted to work in the League. 

Blonde hair, or a very light shade of brown was all that was allowed. Blue or green eyes were a must; either that or wear contacts your entire career. You had to be over 5'3, but not above 5'10. And you had to have a BMI of 20 or under, along with a cup size of CC or over.

Because of this, few females worked for the League; like the League wanted, I supposed. And those who passed those regiments had to adhere to a 'feminine standard of 'Pokemon', so they were often mocked as pushovers, since most of their Pokemon were crap, unevolved ones. AND, if that wasn't bad enough, most had to have a husband, and at least one kid if they were older, or be pretty and single if they were young. 

And no lesbians need apply, of course.

"She took those pills to stay skinny." I told them. Gold announced softly, "Don't they kill you?" 

Not one of us answered his question. 

I checked in and registered at the Gym. 

I was allowed to go into the arena, and there I saw Kristina practicing and crying at the same time. She looked up at me.

"Hey kid." She said softly. I sat down, unsure of what to say. Old scars she had on her arms were oozing blood, and snot dripped from her nose. She grinned weakly, and patted the Horsea, Goldeen, and Vaporeon swimming around her. "So, you tailed me." It wasn't a question.

It got me going, however, especially once I saw the track marks on her arms. Teeth weren't gray, and her skin was clean... probably morphine. "Why are you doing this! Shit, don't you know you could run away?" She smiled sadly.

"Kid, you're young. You and the others like you are young, so young." She sighed. "Believe you can change the goddamn world, don'tcha? You think you'll rise up and beat 'em. Gotta catch 'em all, I wanna be the very best... sound familiar?" I nodded. She snorted in disdain.

"Well, fuck me Freddy, but it just ain't true." She coughed, a harsh hacking sound, and continued. "'Cause guess what? They know you little rebels exist. Fighting for what is right, protecting the oppressed, and blah blah blah." She began to cry silently and angrily, brushing away a few tears. 

"Well, look at it like this; we're the festering corpse, and you're the maggots feasting on it, growing fat and powerful on _our _mistakes, our wrongdoings, while you pretend you're not enjoying playing the goddamn martyr in this shit. Because some of you... well, maybe this means something to you. But for most of us, killing is killing, and we'll kill for whatever side pays us more." She kept continuing, and I could only listen in enraptured horror.

"You need us, just like we need you. You need something to rebel against, and we need something to fight against, to prove that we're here for a reason, that humanity on a whole is a menace that needs to be stopped. Both sides need the other to prove they're _right, _do you understand me?" She looked at me, and through a haze of drugs and pain, I saw memories. 

A drunken father. Dead mother. Psychic powers she didn't understand, nor could she control. Failed at Pokemon, until the League arrived. Happy to take the place of a complacent woman, because she couldn't do anything else. Too hard for her to think. So easy to succumb, so easy to die.

She was dying.

I looked at her, and said, "That may be true. In fact, for some it's probably gospel. But I fight for two simple reasons; one, because I am sick of having to life my life by someone else's rules and regulations, and two, two... _because I fucking can." _I finished in a soft tone, words coated in a sure ice. She sighed, and shook her head.

"It's your funeral." But she wasn't talking to me anymore; she was talking to herself.

She turned, and walked away into the wings, but not before saying, "I'll meet you on the field in five minutes." Vaporeon, Goldeen, and Horsea swam after her cautiously, with concern for their trainer. 

I said nothing, just turned and walked away. Jack and Grimwald followed quietly. What else could we say? 

I collected Gold, Silver, and Anna quietly, and told them to wait in the bleachers. They knew something had happened, but they didn't know what, exactly. 

I did, and it chilled me to the bone. 

We took our places five minutes later. Kristina sighed softly, and called out her first Pokemon as the announcer roared our names. 

I looked at Jack. "Go, and use Tackle." There was so little effort in our voices. "Sea, use Water Gun." "Dodge it with Double Team, and use Bite." 

The audience frowned. They didn't like this, not one bit. They wanted blood and screaming. They weren't getting blood and screaming.

Made them angry.

"Jack. Use Shadow Ball." Kristina retaliated with a weak Water Gun again. Silver frowned in the stands.

"I really don't like this..." He said, as I unleashed a vicious Shadow Ball attack, making Sea faint.

Kristina called out her next Pokemon. "Deen, use Horn attack." Deen stabbed Jack with her sharp horn, and Jack wheezed, the air knocked out of him. "...Finish it. With one more Horn Attack." The audience waited, tense.

Blood in the water, as Jack hit it with a sound splash. They all cheered, waiting joyously for the climax. They got it. Jack fainted. I sighed, and recalled him.

"You did well, Jack, and I'm proud of you." I silently prayed to Mew as I called out Grimwald. He knew that the occasion was solemn, and made no announcement of his Satan-ness. 

He finished Deen off with a Spark. Blue electricity still crackling over scales, Kristina recalled her, and then sent out Eon. Our eyes met.

'_Don't do it,' _mine begged her, '_you have so much to live for!' _Her weary, faded eyes said softly, '_There is always another choice. Remember that. I chose mine. Did you choose yours, yet?' _With a jolt, I realized we were having a telepathic conversation. 

How...? I shook my head, and thundered, '_PLEASE! Who will take care of your pokemon?' _She smiled. '_These three... I love them, and they'll survive. Give them to a worthy trainer, one that was nothing like me. And please... there's a Dusk Ball in my room; second door after you walk into the wing. Take him, please. He never knew me, never knew anyone. Take him.' _I mentally yowled, '_Who the fuck is HIM!' _But she'd cut me off.

She turned to me, and tossed me a Cascade Badge, and turned back to the audience. "There's always a goddamn choice, you hear me? Don't give in! IF WE GIVE AN INCH, THEY WIN! THEY WIN!" She turned to Eon, who closed her eyes in misery.

"EON, HYPER BEAM!" She screamed. Eon closed her eyes—

And fired the condensed power straight at her trainer. 

Her body set alight, and she literally exploded, sending chunks of hair, bone, brain, and muscle flying. I screamed, as most of it covered me. "Oh my god! LIVID! LIVID!" Silver and Gold roared, reaching for their pokeballs, in a desperate attempt to save Kristina—too late. 

Her Pokemon quietly finished themselves off; Deen performed a Horn Drill on Sea, then as she pierced Eon's heart, Eon hit her with a Hyper Beam. 

They found peace in torment. They joined their trainer.

I began to howl, as the guts of another human being ran down my body. I choked on a bit of flesh that had found its way into my mouth as I'd screamed, and I noted with a lucid horror it was a complete human eye. 

I vomited then, and in the puddle of puke, the eye glared back at me. '_You should've known. You should've saved her.' _It accused me. I nodded. "It's TRUE! It's TRUE! I'M SORRY!" And then, in a sole bit of lucidity, "_Holy shit_, _I just threw up an eye. Eeew_." 

In my haze of terror, I remembered her last request; the Dusk Ball. In the chaos of both the Gym and my mind, I managed to find her room.

The little bed had the green-and-black Pokeball sitting there, waiting for a Trainer that was never coming back. I noticed a note, and I read it, still in terror over the eye.

'_The Pokemon I always wanted—they never let me have. I caught him in the darkest night. Please take care of him. He needs a good trainer.' _Even though I knew it could've been addressed to anyone, it felt like it was meant for me. 

I took the Pokeball, and fled. 

Back in the League, they were discussing the death of Kristina. 

* * *

"_Shame, shame. She fit so many of our requirements. It'll be difficult to replace her." The young male said sadly. The one called Tristan snorted. "Always knew she'd be trouble. Such a shame we have to tell the Champ, since it's his kid's first day as a Trainer, after all..." _

_But Morgan already knew. He sighed, as he saw the girl Kristina had been facing. "Oh, Olivia, my dearest daughter," He sighed, "What _shall _we do with you?" _

As we ran from the Gym, my hands trembled. "Whoa, where'd you get a Dusk Ball?" Gold asked me, eyes widening a bit. I explained my discussion with Kristina, and the note I found. Everyone stared.

Because of the dark glass used to make it, I couldn't see what was inside. Everyone called out their Pokemon in case the thing was insane, and it was with bated breath I tossed the pokeball.

"_Momma?" _I gasped. An orange lizard with a flickering flame on his tail. 

Holy flying motherfu—

He sat down and began to cry. Silver nodded. "Go ahead. Kristina gave him to you, remember." I nodded shakily, and gathered him in my arms. I could hardly believe it.

A Charmander. A real, live Charmander. And he was nuzzling me. I hugged him gently, and whispered in his ear. "Shush, Santi, it's going to be okay, I promise." I sent him the most calming thoughts I could. He cried in my arms, knowing instinctively his mother was dead. 

I quickly ran a scan over him, checking his memories. He'd been captured by Kristina just a week ago; other than that, he'd led a normal life. Nothing to give away any Order secrets. I grunted, and heaved him up.

"Let's go, Santi. I have a Coliseum battle to win." Everyone stared at me. "You do realize," Silver said, carefully choosing his words so as not to set me off, "That Charmanders are illegal for female trainers under the League—" I turned, and placed my hands on my hips, setting Santi down beside me.

"Did I NOT say I was doing this so no one would tell me how to live my life? Santi comes with me, we are fighting, and we are getting the Pokemon prize, dammit." I hissed. Silver sighed.

"Do you want to pass yourself off as an enemy of the League?" I rolled my eyes. "Well, I am, aren't I?" He had nothing to argue against that, and with the last word won, I set off to train in the grass by Nugget Bridge.

I spotted a kid in the grass, and I recognized him as one of Jack's attackers from our first day together. I ran away just as he saw me—and ran into a boy with a Slowpoke.

"Battle me!" He said. The Slowpoke chewed his tail. I rolled my eyes. "Santi, I think you can handle this. Metal Claw!" His claws turned iron, and Slowpoke shrunk back in fright as he raked them across his flank. Santi's emotions spiked up in happiness, and I smiled in delight. "What a great Pokemon you are, Santi!" I yelled. 

The unspoken words were mainly, "_Way better than you, Jack." _

Jack stared back at me, and I didn't see the tears in his eyes. I didn't see him plod off away, past Nugget Bridge. 

And until I beat the Slowpoke, collected Santi, and turned around for Nugget Bridge, I didn't see Mew, either.


	6. Before the story ends

(Since I am evil, I leave you with CLIFFY! Hint about the Pokemon; it's a starter. I give no more hints. Questions? Comments? Flames? Send them in a review! I've got a lot of ideas for this series, so expect it to be pretty long. I know I haven't updated An Epic of Time Wasted, but to be honest, it's really a mindless, plotless, humor fic, and I have to finish a few other chapters of SYOTOS and this before I can get back to work, okay? It's not dead, just on hiatus. Love ya all!)

* * *

I screamed. What else could I do? This scared Mew, who phased away—

Taking me with her.

My eyes widened as I looked around at my new temporary home. It was a soft, glowing bubble of white, mostly. I began to panic. Santi was still in my arms, and he wasn't handling it well either.

His thoughts were on overload with, "I DON'T WANNA DIE" being the main one here.

But Mew was with Jack, and Grimwald was asleep, so for the time being, I was stuck here.

Jack was with Mew. She smiled at him, and floated in the air around him. "_Hi!" _She purred. "_Wanna play with me?" _Jack looked at her sadly.

"_If I play with you, will you please help me?" _Mew looked confused, but nodded. "_What do you need help with, silly Eevee?" _Jack sighed, and began.

"_My trainer doesn't like me. It's because I'm weak. She likes the stupid Charmander better. Stupid lizard. And she ignores me sometimes, and calls me Useless, even though I've trained 'cause of her!" _Jack sniffled in sadness. Mew looked concerned.

"_Oh, no. Wow, that's so sad. Why don't you stay for awhile with me! I can help you!" _Jack nodded, and the two sat and talked.

"_Okay. Why again doesn't she like you?" _Mew said, adopting a pseudo-psychiatrist voice, looking at Jack. Jack shrugged. "_Because I can't fight too well. She needs a strong Pokemon to help her, 'cause she needs to beat the League and become Champion. And I'm just a stupid Normal type. I can't attack Ghosts with my regular attacks, and I'm kinda skinny and small compared to some other Pokemon." _Mew thought for a second.

"_Have you ever considered evolving, silly Eevee?" _She asked him. Jack thought for a second. "_Into what?" _Mew sighed, and rolled her eyes.

"_Silly stupid Eevee! Espeon, Umbreon, Glaceon, Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Leafeon, you know, the Eeveeloutions!" _Jack paused.

"_Would she like me more if I evolved?" _Mew shrugged. "_I don't know, but you'd get stronger." _Jack thought about it for a second. Then he said,

"_I wanna get strong with her. So I'll train harder and harder, and MAKE her like me! I can do it, right?" _Mew nodded.

"_I bet you can!" _Jack nodded, brightening up. "_Yeah! Mew, do you have to leave?" _Mew thought.

"_I guess so. But I can always come visit, right?" _Jack nodded. Mew smiled, kissed his head, and with a flick of her tail, brought us all back to Cerulean. I stared at her as she winked at Jack, and disappeared.

"...That... was... Mew." I said, astounded. Grimwald nodded. "_She's sexy, you know." _Santi stared at him "_How does that make a point?" _He piped up. Ignoring the both of them, I knelt down, and looked at Jack. "You okay? You look like you've been crying." I brushed a knuckle across his head, and hissed softly with surprise when his encounter with Mew hit me in a flood.

When I had processed it all, I looked at him sadly. "I..." Jack nudged his Pokeball, and it didn't take my power to realize he wanted to be alone. I recalled him, and sighed, beckoning to the others.

Santi pattered behind me, claws clicking. I looked up at the sky. I didn't believe it. Was I really that cruel to him?

I didn't mean to be such a jerk. I just wanted to win battles, and get stronger.

I looked down at his Pokeball, gazing at the sleeping Eevee inside. I sighed.

But maybe there was more than that to Pokemon. Winning wasn't everything, I guess. And maybe, just maybe, Jack could be a great Pokemon if we tried to work together...

Jack seemed to have heard this, and I heard a happy purring emanating from the Pokeball. I smiled, and clasped it to my chest.

I met up with the other three, who looked at me, and wisely said nothing. I rushed past them to the Coliseum, and burst in. The receptionist looked up. "I see you're here for the Knockout Battle?" I nodded. She pushed a piece of paper in my direction.

"Fill this out, please." I sat down, and scribbled my name, my hometown, my Pokemon and their names, and my rank. Two badges, three Pokemon. The lady took this, skimmed it over, and nodded.

"Hall three. It starts in five minutes. Good luck!" I nodded, and met up with the others. I quickly explained, and they nodded.

"We'll be watching, and laughing at you if you mess up. So no pressure, okay?" Gold joked. I hissed at him, which made Silver smile as Gold hid behind him.

Anna rolled her eyes, and nodded at me. "Good luck, kid." I smiled.

Five minutes later, the MC strode out to the middle of the stadium. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to our Cerulean Coliseum battle! We thank all of you for coming!" He flicked his hand with a great flourish to a small box.

"Our prize this time is a rare and exotic Pokemon, imported from the wild lands of Johto! Are you ready to see who will win it all?!" The audience cheered a response. The MC screamed, "BEGIN! Starting off are Marie Antonetta, and Louis Blake!" The two faced off.

"Go! Espeon!" Marie called, as the mauve catlike Pokemon leapt out onto the field. The boy checked his Pokeballs, and called out, "Go, Raichu!" The great mouse Pokemon slammed his tail down in a show of dominance.

"Psychic!" The Raichu was levitated in the air above Espeon. "Thunder, Raichu!" The bolt of lightning was a dead hit. It did a lot of damage, but I suspected the two of them were low-leveled. I checked my Pokedex, and found I was right; neither were above level twenty.

I'd heard of that before; stuffing your Pokemon full of vitamins so it got strong, and then using a stone, or giving them a Soothe Bell. I sighed, and realized it was a more common practice than I thought.

The unsettling feeling I had was intensified when I heard the girl call, "Espeon, go for the neck!"

And then it tripled tenfold when the Espeon began to rip apart the Raichu, feasting on the insides. I gasped softly, and clutched Jack to my chest.

The Espeon slowly licked Raichu clean of internal organs, much to the delight of the crowd. They rubbed together, producing a strange squelching sound.

The air suffocated me with the stench of blood. It permeated every inch and aspect of the stadium, and was thick enough for me to believe I was actually swallowing the blood of the millions of Pokemon who had died there.

It sickly reminded me of what happened when a cat feasted on a mouse. The Raichu pleaded quietly for mercy, and I began to cry when I heard these thoughts in my head.

And for an instant, I felt something snap inside of me, and I screamed mentally with terror. It hurt my mind to have to face this. I could _hear _the Raichu's dying plea.

Some part of me screamed for them to stop, but those words never reached my mouth. I swallowed heavily, and bit my lip, tasting blood. I wept, and the salty tears stung my lips, but I ignored it. Jack, seeing me cry, put a soft velvety paw on my cheek, and batted at my tears.

I smiled at him, and watched Raichu take his last, shuddering breath; I owed him enough dignity to watch him die, and not to turn away and leave him alone. His eyes met mine for an instant, and he seemed to smile, before fading away.

In that moment, I had never been more disgusted by humanity in my life than I was now. I had such a seething hatred going on that I missed the next battle. It was just as well; the fact was, it was probably just as gruesome as the first.

Why was I on this journey? For the greater good? How do you stop something as base in human nature as killing? How do you stop something that brings so many pleasure; the slaughter and abuse of lower life forms?

How do you make the filth clean?

Once my body stopped shaking in fury, I looked up and noticed the challengers before me. One was a blonde-haired boy whose name was listed on the board as "Clarence", while the boy with brown hair and a sullen expression was listed as "Byron".

Clarence's Croconaw was blitzed by Byron's Gyarados; the thing was vicious. Croconaw's entrails were scattered all over the floor by the time Gyarados was done.

I gulped. This spelled ill for my Pokemon. But I think we could handle it. If I was careful, then we'd be sure to win!

Please Mew, let me win. And not die.

My turn was next.

"Now, our newest challenger, Olivia Kent, straight from Blackthorn!" The others gasped. A Johto girl! _Oh noes, drama_.

I shivered, as I stared down a young boy with a cruel expression on his face. The board announced his name was "John". I shuddered, and glared back. He tossed out a Pokeball.

"Gligar." I nodded to Santi. He growled at the batlike Pokemon, who stuck his tongue out at him. "Metal Claw!" I ordered. Santi squawked, "Char!" And struck, slicing at Gligar viciously.

"Go for his belly." The boy ordered. I gazed blankly as Santi was swiped with a vicious claw. A wound on his stomach welled with blood.

I gasped, as I saw the damage done. "Strike with Ember!" I ordered. Santi spewed a ton of flames in Gligar's face, burning his eyes. Gligar squawked with pain, and I had an idea. "Jump on his back!" Santi did so, and John ordered, "Barrel roll! Shake him off!"

"Cling onto him with Metal Claw!" I ordered. Santi did so, squalling like a terrified child. I hardly blamed him. "Use Ember!" Santi set Gligar alight.

Screaming an eerily human scream, Gligar dove down, and attempted to roll around in the sand. When it became clear he could no longer fight, John sneered, and returned him. "I forfeit." He growled, striding away.

I wasn't just thrilled we'd won, I was thrilled that I didn't have to kill anyone.

I went back, and hugged Santi, who was still bleeding. I covered the cut with a Potion, and it faded to an angry red slash of color across his cream-colored belly. I sighed. "You did very well. Let's hurry up and win this thing, so we can get a new Pokemon!" Everyone cheered in agreement.

I watched the semifinal; some boy named Chris, and that boy from before, Byron. Byron used a Seviper this time, and it slowly poisoned Chris' Monferno to death. I blinked.

He was the one I was going to fight. Sure enough, "And now, our final battle! Byron Strumer versus Olivia Kent!" I saw him throw out a Steelix. I gaped.

Okay. So far, it's been great. Only, you know_, one_ of each fight had DIED. But come on; was the giant steel snake _necessary?_

But then I remembered it was only supposed to be around level twenty, same as my others. But as I went for Santi, Jack spoke up, "_I want to fight!" _I stared. Santi looked at me, and nodded. "_Let him." _I sighed.

"Don't get killed, Useless." Jack knew I was worried, and nodded back up at me. "Jack, go!" I called. Byron nodded to his Steelix.

"Flamethrower!" "Dig!" I yelled. Jack burrowed down just in time. He came up from behind, ready to strike Steelix... but Steelix had anticipated this, and smacked him with an iron-hard tail. I whimpered in pain, as my body throbbed in sympathy with Jack's.

"Shadow Ball!" I ordered. He charged it up, and struck Steelix; but it didn't seem to do much damage, the exact opposite of what I'd hoped. "Damn, damn, and double damn." I muttered.

"Steelix, Hyper Beam!" I gaped, as Steelix charged up. "Oh, shit." I grumbled. Jack's eyes widened with terror. "Dig again!" I said, but it was too late. He got blasted back. Quickly, I checked his HP. Not much left. What to do...

Well, I had one idea. The prize was still right there, right? And I could probably provide a distraction, of course...

"GRIMWALD! SANTI! FUCK THIS BITCH UP!" I yelled, and as a fiery shock of electricity flared up, I rushed through the chaos and confusion to snag the Luxury Ball on the platform.

Everyone began screaming, and rushing for the exit. I cackled madly. "BURN BURN, MY BITCHES!!" I was again stricken with Johto Madness.

See? I have an excuse, I'm crazy.

The others saw me snatch it, and run like hell. "Well, I suppose we're raising a hardened criminal, eh?" Gold joked. Silver rolled his eyes.

"All hail the crusader for the world's karma." I said, saluting myself. I grabbed my boys, and got the hell out of there.

Hey, they deserved it. I wanted a frickin' Pokemon, oh-KAY? Jeez, you act like I just ruined a giant building or something.

Anna met up with me first, and she was not exactly thrilled. "You are aware you could've gotten us all killed?" She asked in a deadly calm voice. I shrugged. "Yeah, I figure, but hey, I took out a fight-to-the-death Coliseum AND got a new Pokemon! Cool, right?" Anna grumbled, but had to agree.

Silver and Gold met up with us, and Gold piped up, "Well, open the Pokeball!" I did, and the beam of light solidified to reveal—


	7. And I will take what's mine

* * *

(I'm back! Okay, you'll find out the Pokemon right... now! As for SYOTOS, I'm working on it. I've got a lot of homework, okay? –sighs- Oh well, hope you enjoy!

...Actually, I bought Pokemon from Satoshi Tajiri for five bucks on eBay. Seriously. –rolls eyes- I don't own, nor will I ever.)

* * *

"_Hi!" _A cyan little crocodile-like Pokemon waved at me. Silver stared. "That's a Totodile! They weren't kidding; those things are so rare in this region!" It came to me that they might have snuck back into the quarantined Johto to steal this little fellow. And that they probably did.

"Hi. My name's Olivia. Are you okay?" Totodile stared up at me, and stuck his hand in his mouth, blinking cutely. I smirked. "Hey, I don't think that's a good idea, kiddo. What's your name?" He continued to chew on his arm.

"_I don't know. But I like you. Your arm looks tasty." _I rolled my eyes. "You don't bite people unless I tell you, okay? Can you do that for me?" He considered this, and nodded, proffering a hand to me. "_Okay!" _I nodded.

"So, you need a name. How about... Leviathan?" His eyes got big. "_Can I be a Feraligatr?" _He continued to chew on his arm.I got the impression he was a tiny bit... well, retarded.

This notion was furthered when he attempted to chase his tail. Grimwald preened. "_I am going to have such fun with this dunce." _I sighed, and put my head in my hands.

"Look, let's just go to Vermilion before I kill myself. Okay?" Everyone snickered, as we hurried out of Cerulean. Silver released Feraligatr, and Lev had a grand old time pestering the Big Jaw Pokemon about how hard he could bite.

"I see I'm running a mentor program." Silver observed. I shrugged. "It'll be good experience for Lev." Silver glanced back at Feraligatr, who was getting a murderous glint in his eye.

"...Right. If Feraligatr doesn't kill Lev first." I had nothing to argue against that, and simply chose to run a bit faster.

We quickly rushed down the little transit building between Cerulean and Vermilion.

As we did, trouble began brewing on the SS Anne...

* * *

"_Sir? Sir, there's been trouble in Cerulean. A Coliseum got blown up." _Morgan clapped his hands. "I see. Pictures?" A picture flashed across the screen. Morgan frowned. "Dear god, Livvy. What _have _you done...?" Tristan's voice fizzled in the intercom.

"_Sir? Sir, should I alert the Jennies?" _Morgan shook his head. "No, I don't think it will be necessary." _"But, but sir—" _"Goodbye, Tristan." Morgan ended the conversation, and leaned back in his seat.

"My baby girl, what shall we do with you... you want to set me up, eh? I'm more than willing to play this game, dearest." He leaned closer to the picture. "Amuse me."

* * *

Back with the group, there was a slight problem.

"My, my! What a cute Pachirisu! Would you like a Poffin, cutie?!" A woman simpered, pressing Grimwald to her more-than-ample chest. "_Fuck yeah, bitches! Feed me!" _I was the only one that bothered to listen to his Translator, and sighed, choosing instead to go pry a young girl away from Jack.

Gold, to the amusement of both Silver and Anna, had set up a gambling station with Togetaro. Both were thrilled at the gullible little girls lured in by the ickle-bickle-cutesy-wootsey-Togepi.

Most of my Pokemon, being unevolved and sufficiently cute, were being fawned over. I had no qualms against it, but I really wanted to go see the SS Anne...

I sighed, and stowed my map in my bag, calling to the others. Jack followed me quickly, with Grimwald leaping back up on my shoulder, mimicking the gesture of a Pikachu on the shoulder of a boy I had never—and would never—meet.

Santi and Lev both escaped from the crowd, and followed me. Silver recalled Murkrow, and Gold, quite regretfully, took Togetaro, and also the fifteen thousand Poke-pounds he had won, with him.

Anna, having no cute Pokemon, caught up with us quickly. As I gazed at the docked ship, a man in a dark blue buttoned shirt, and black slacks approached me. He looked antsy, and eager to get out of the situation.

"Hello, ma'am. My name is Tristan. And I was sent here to give you these!" He shoved two pairs of tickets in my hands, and rushed off like he had somewhere important to be. I raised an eyebrow.

Silver said what we all were thinking; "Hey, why did he give us those tickets?" Gold snatched his from me. "I don't know, and I don't care! Sweet ship, here I come!" He raced off. I shrugged, gave a 'what can you do' look to Silver and Anna, and rushed off with Gold.

We handed our tickets to the porter, and he remarked cheerfully, "Don't forget the ball tonight, lassies!" I nodded, unsure of what he was talking about, but sure it sounded like fun.

Once we arrived, I noticed quite a few swank kids and their snooty parents around. I figured this must be an important occasion. All the kids were so dressed up and primped and pimped, (seriously, pedophile fathers. I mean, ten-year-olds in backless, low-cut dresses?! Come on!)

Blushing, we all looked down at our clothes. Our grotty and disgusting clothes that were attracting stares. "Well, we might want to go shopping." I said. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"But first, a shower!" Gold enthused. We all agreed, and set off for our rooms. Anna and Gold got one, while I shared with Silver. He sat on the bed, as I turned on the shower. "Hey, Liv? You know Gold and I are... well, in a..." "Relationship?" I asked. He nodded.

"Well, yeah. Um, but, it's kinda... illegal now. So, what do I do?" I shrugged. "Well, since we're in public, I guess... just no PDA." He blinked.

"Pokemon Digital Assistant? What?" I rolled my eyes. "No, fuckwit. Public Displays of Affection." He sighed sadly.

"I hate this." I nodded. "I know." His voice trembled a bit, and I knew instinctively that revealing this much emotion to anyone was tough for him.

"I mean, no one's allowed to be _themselves _anymore! Girls can't be butch, I know... but it's hard for us too, sometimes." I considered this.

It hadn't really occurred to me that some men might hate this. I mean, most of them benefited from a system that praised masculinity.

But then again, some just weren't all that masculine to begin with. I cursed myself for not seeing that before.

"I mean, it's just not fair! For anyone, male or female! And nobody benefits from a system that makes you be someone you're not, right!? So... so..." I called, "So what?"

Silver sighed. "I don't know." All was silent for a minute or two. Then he asked softly,

"Livid, can you promise me... if you ever become Champion, can you make... you know, homosexuality and stuff legal again?" I nodded, and called back, "Promise." He seemed satisfied, and let me finish my shower.

Drying myself off, I grabbed a simple shirt and skirt to go shopping with. Silver took a quick shower, and I pretended not to hear him sniffling over the water. Once he came out, I called for my Pokemon, and we set off.

This place was huge, for the record. It had almost twenty shops. I stopped in the first one I saw that played good music. Most people stared at my Charmander, but said nothing. I chose a silvery ruffled top carefully, and then selected a flare-legged black pant-skirt combo, along with a red tie. The lady at the counter looked at me suspiciously for the tie, but I paid for the stuff, and walked out, Grimwald on my shoulder whispering curses at all the Pachirisu he saw.

I saw Silver, looking confused as to what to buy, in another store close by. I smiled, and walked over. "Want some help?" He jumped. "Uh, yeah. What do I wear?" I snickered to myself. "...I thought you'd never ask."

After much deliberation and coaxing, Silver bought a tight black jacket, a white buttoned shirt, and a plain pair of black slacks. "I feel like a goddamn yuppie." Silver hissed as we left. I shrugged.

"No way, baby, you're gonna look adorable..." Gold caught the stares of an old lady, and quickly finished, "...Anna! You'll look splendid." I breathed an annoyed sigh of relief.

"Seriously, you look great, Silver." Gold said softly, kissing him quickly on the cheek. Silver blushed. Akira, standing by Anna's side, grinned at me. "_Isn't my doll gonna look gorgeous?" _

Anna had bought a plain white dress with plaid trim, which I suspected was hard for her to do. I said nothing, and looked around. "Why don't we check out the bookstore?" They all shrugged, and nodded.

The place was no bookstore. It was a propaganda machine. The books on the shelf had titles like, "_Homosexuality: The Spreading Cancer", "Raising your Son; keeping the boys away from Femininity", "Pokephilia: The sin against our New Order League", _and other such savory titles.

I felt incredibly uncomfortable in the store, and quickly dragged the others out. Gold fumed the entire way back to our room. "I don't believe them! It's utter bullshit!" Explotaro nodded in agreement with his trainer. Silver said nothing, but his eyes smoldered.

I shook my head, and clicked my tongue. "It's going to change someday, I promise. Now go get dressed." They split into Gold and Anna's room, while we girls stayed to change. Everyone stayed out, really uncaring about our undressing, except for Akira and Jack, who both locked themselves into the bathroom.

"Why the hell does Jack care? I mean, I get why Akira minds, but Jack?" Anna wondered out loud. I shrugged. "Maybe he's just a prude." Or otherwise. But I refused to think about that.

Once we got dressed, we both recalled our Pokemon, and headed outside to wait for the boys. They came out a couple minutes later, breathing heavily and bright red. "...Sorry, needed a quick makeout before hell-on-earth." Gold explained quickly. We rolled our eyes knowledgably, and set off with an air of superiority.

* * *

"Dad? I'm bored." Roger said, leaning against the table. He was annoyed. He'd only had a week on the road before his dad had dragged him to this _stupid _party. He really hated his dad being the Champion, sometimes.

First, he didn't start until he was almost THIRTEEN. Stupid Dad, insisting he go to Pokemon Tech. No one went to school after ten; wouldn't it have been better to go on a journey like usual? Learn on the road?

He grumped, remembering the embarrassment he'd suffered. He didn't even have a Pokemon until ages ago; and now he had only four! It wasn't fair! Everyone else had a lot!

And he didn't like the ones he'd gotten. Becka and Rukario were awesome, but Karash and Ripper were scary...

He decided as soon as he got away from his dad, he would give them to another trainer.

He didn't like them at all. They were strong, but he wanted something that didn't look at him like he was a piece of meat.

Morgan frowned. "Be patient. You'll get to socialize in a bit, Roger." He sighed, and hugged Rukario, who nuzzled his trainer in response. "_Don't worry, master! I'm sure we'll have fun!" _Roger smiled at his Riolu.

"I'm sure I will, with you by my side, Rukario!" The two hugged in a display of sheer cuteness so sappy it made Morgan's teeth throb in pain.

I burst into the room, Jack striding behind me. I didn't notice Morgan's eyes widen in shock, nor did I see Roger's face light up.

All I saw was the food.

I practically inhaled the entire table, shoving five different flavors of croissants in my mouth, all the while washing this down with coffee; not the crappy coffee-mix, but pure coffee.

I was in _heaven. _

"...Okay. I didn't think girls ate that much." Roger told his father. His mother fidgeted in her seat, and said nothing, just as usual. But his father ignored him, and instead stared at the girl. "...Roger, wouldn't you like to battle her? Provide some entertainment for the Champion and his friends?" Roger shrugged.

"I'll go ask her, okay?" He set off, Rukario trotting by his side. Morgan smirked into his coffee.

"Hey! Miss!" A boy with long dark brown hair set in a pretty sweeping style rushed up to me. "My name's Roger Kent! Wanna fight me?" I grumbled. "Zip it, I'm eating—wait, what?" I gazed at him.

He couldn't be more than twelve, but he seemed to... look like me, just a bit. And did he say his name was Kent? "...I'm Olivia Kent. And... Yeah, I guess I'll fight you." He nodded, and even though I was ravenous, the way his face lit up made me cheerful.

We both faced each other on the dance floor that had been converted into a battlefield for the ball. I saw my friends watch with amazement.

"...She's starting to look like a true trainer. A real one, not one of the League clones." Silver said softly. Gold leaned back, and smiled. "She's a good kid, isn't she?"

Roger nodded to Rukario, who jumped out. Jack shook his head, and I shrugged. Better off, I guess. "Leviathan, go!" The Totodile launched himself at his opponent.

"Bubblebeam!" Roger thought quickly. "Aura Sphere!" Lev dodged, with only a bit nicking his tail. Rukario got pushed back by the stream of bubbles, and I quickly ordered a Water Gun.

However, Lev unleashed an Ice Beam. "_Where is your god NOW!?" _He cackled. I blinked. "Someone's bipolar." Lev looked back at me, and rolled his eyes, blinking cutely and chewing on his arm again. I couldn't help but smile.

Roger frowned. "Rukario, be careful! Use Mach Punch, please!" It struck Lev, and he howled in pain. "Bite down!" I ordered. He did so, sending Rukario into a howl of fury. I smirked.

"Aura Sphere!" I knew at close range, it would hurt quite a bit. "Lev! Use Crunch!" He bit down, and as Aura Sphere pushed him back, he took Rukario with him.

Rukario and Lev both tried to stand up, but both failed. "_Sorry mommy, I didn't bite him hard enough..." _I patted Lev on the head. "It's okay. You tried your best, and I'm sure you'll get even better, right?" He nodded, and I recalled him.

"_Sorry, master." _Rukario said sadly. Roger smiled. "Don't worry, when you're a Lucario, you'll beat everyone, right?" Rukario nodded, and smiled as Roger recalled him.

"Okay! Becka! Are you ready!?" I stared at the Charmander. She seemed happy and well-adjusted enough for me to think this kid would be a decent trainer.

"Santi, come here for a sec." I used the Pokedex to check his level. I blinked. "Level 15? Why didn't you say something?" Santi shrugged. "_Uh, you never asked." _I stopped.

"Shit, you're right." I wanted to throttle him, but he was right. "Just go, and use Ember!" Everyone gasped. A Charmander? How could that be?

Roger seemed surprised, too. But his Charmander had TMs on his side; "Dragon Claw!" I gaped, as Santi got slashed with a glowing blue claw.

"Dammit, Tail Whip! Slap her!" Santi whipped a flaming tail in Becka's face, causing her to howl and step back. "No! Use Dragonbreath!" Santi got struck with the beam of light, and I grunted.

If, and I did mean if, he could evolve right now, that would be nice. And I had an idea. "Santi! Quick, use Ember with all your might!" He spewed flames, and I practically saw him grow stronger and more powerful. "Now! Dragon Claw, Becka!" I screamed out one last attack.

"Santi, SLASH!" He did so, and as the two attacks collided, a white light filled the room. When it faded, I looked at Santi, and gasped. He'd evolved into a Charmeleon. "You did it!" I screamed, pausing the battle so I could run and hug him. "_I did it! I did it!" _Jack, looking forlorn on the sidelines, recalled Mew's words. He hung his head sadly.

"_...I have to get stronger." _He promised himself. "_I will!" _I squealed with delight as we both recalled our Pokemon; in the clash, Becka had fainted.

"Good job! Say, how many Pokemon do you have, Olivia?" I told Roger, "Four. You?"  
He nodded. "Four! Okay, here's my next one! Ripper!" I gaped.

"...Dude, that's a goddamn Aerodactyl." I said. Roger nodded. "Yup! Dad revived his fossil for me." I then decided I was screwed.


	8. Reap what God would never design

* * *

(For the record, the Gengar Morgan owns is actually, well... let me explain. For some weird reason, due to Gamefreak's programming, practically EVERY Pokemon I had could learn Zap Cannon. My Espeon, my LUGIA, my Snorlax, my Raichu, my Ninetales, my Raikou, and yes, my Gengar, along with many others, learned Zap Cannon. – I duplicated the HELL out of it-

So, I figured, since it was from Johto, and could be learned by so many Pokemon ONLY in Johto, -I checked on Serebii; the only Pokemon that can learn it now naturally, without hacking, is Magnezone and something else, I believe.- It must be a forbidden move, making Morgan's Gengar one-of-a-kind.

And an important note; here, the gore gets rather graphic and slightly sexual. If you're squeamish, and don't like stuff like that, skip it over. It's in italics, and the last part of the chapter. All I know is I'm not changing the rating, so read at your own risk. K? You've been warned.-

Finally, only ONE person realized the chapter names are song lyrics!? WTF?! Anyways, the song is A Little Piece of Heaven, by Avenged Sevenfold. GO LISTEN TO IT. I'll wait. I don't own anything copyrighted, just my OC's and Pokes.)

* * *

"...Um. Jack?" He leapt out immediately, and fired off a Shadow Ball. I blinked, surprised by his ferocity.

"Whatever works! Blitz him!" Roger had other plans. "Ancientpower!" As it rose Ripper's stats, he hit Jack.

I was almost sure he'd faint but he stood up. "_For Livvy!" _He cried. I was touched. "C'mon, Useless, show 'em your stuff! Use Bite, and clench his tail!" It worked, but only for the moment. He'd have to let go to attack. And then I had an idea.

"Climb up and use Shadow Ball!" He tried, but Roger ordered a barrel roll, knocking Jack off. He fainted, and I saw him sigh in defeat. I shrugged. "You did good, Useless. I'm proud of you." I didn't see his eyes light up, but I felt his happiness as I recalled him.

Roger stood there, waiting for me. I grumbled. I checked my bag for a Revive, found one, and put it in Lev's mouth. He sprang up, ready to battle.

"Okay, Leviathan!" I thought quick. "Water Gun! Then use Bubblebeam!" The damage Ripper had taken from Jack was more than I thought, I figured, because Ripper looked ready to faint. I smirked.

"Ripper, use Hyper Beam!" My jaw dropped. "Whoa, what?!" Lev acted quicker than I did, and dodged it, firing off an incredibly powerful Water Gun. I clapped as Ripper fainted, and recalled Lev. Roger frowned.

"You're good for a girl." I fired back, "You're pretty good for an idiot." He grumbled, and tossed out his last Pokeball, a Nidorino. I nodded to Grimwald.

"_DOST THOU CHALLENGE MY SUPER MAD AWESOME SKILLZ, YO?!" _Grimwald said, making the slightly off-kilter change from Elizabethan to Ghetto...ian. Roger stared at him.

"Okay then. Uh... Karash, use Horn Drill!" It missed, and I fired back with a Spark. "Grimwald! Uh... use your 'mad skillz' with Crunch!" He bit Karash, but staggered back, poisoned. "Damn." I muttered. It was a race against time, and hopefully, I could beat it.

"Use Thunderbolt!" He shocked Karash with a blue lightning strike, and fled away, back to the other side of the area. "Karash! Earthquake!" I had an idea. "Up on Karash!" Grimwald did so, and rode out the Earthquake, clinging for dear life to Karash. "Now use Hyper Fang!" The move knocked his HP down to half. I nodded at Grimwald, and he finished it with Crunch.

Karash staggered and fell, but not before using Horn Attack. Grimwald was barely healthy, but still standing.

I'd won.

I bowed to Roger, who nodded at me. "Please, come sit with my father and I. We'd love to talk to you." I nodded, and healed my Pokemon, recalling them so it wasn't noticeable, before looking at the others. "_Go ahead_." Gold mouthed. "_But be careful_."

I nodded at him, and started off. Morgan smiled at me. I was taken aback by how familiar he looked.

I decided to try out my powers on a human. "Ooops! Sorry, I'm not used to heels!" I tripped, and brushed his hand.

It worked. I saw...

* * *

"_Why, Steven, why?" A woman wailed, clutching a baby to her chest. The child babbled happily, unaware of the argument she had started. The brown haired man frowned._

_God, did he hate this place; Johto. This girl was born after the Quarantine. She'd likely grown up to be insane. He didn't want that child to be his legacy, no indeed._

"_I don't want a girl. She'll have nothing but misery in the world. I would distance myself from that, if I were you." He frowned. "I will be the Champion in five days' time. The League is holding a challenge. It wouldn't do for the Champion's eldest daughter to be a female, now would it? Certainly not one like her." He stared down at his wife—former wife, he should say._

_He had it planned out. Steven must die. He would rise, a phoenix from the ashes, to become the Champion of the League under a new name, with a new life. _

_He'd already planned a fake suicide. The funeral would be quick; no one would know it was an empty grave, as it would be a private service._

_He would leave Johto, and never look back. On to Kanto; on to the League he would rule. _

"_Goodbye, Sheila. For this to happen, I must die. Remember, never speak of me again. The entire world must believe Steven Kent is dead." He said quietly. He looked down at the child before him. "Her name is Olivia." _

_He departed then, shutting the door with a finite click. _

_The child looked up at her mother with dark blue eyes; so much like the ones of the man that had left her behind._

_And she finally opened her mouth to wail._

_Time passed; he didn't know how much. Morgan came to Kanto, and with his Badges he had taken from another man, (who died soon after, under mysterious circumstances that were never to be solved), he began the Tournament, defeating all who stood in his way._

_The last battle. Morgan and the former Champion, a man named Bruce. Bruce sent out a Muk. Morgan sent out an Alakazam._

_Poison versus Psychic; the battle was quick._

_Next, Bruce sent out Blastoise; Morgan sent out Venasaur. A Solarbeam/Razor Leaf combo quickly took out Blastoise, but in the commotion, Venasaur fainted._

_Bruce was down to his last Pokemon. A Medicham that took care of Alakazam with a Shadow Punch._

_Both were down to their last Pokemon. Medicham waited, anxious to win and get it over with. Morgan sent out his last Pokemon._

_A gigantic Gengar stood before the Psi Monkey Pokemon. Bruce cackled. "Are you an imbecile!? Are you not aware that Ghost is useless against Psychic?!" Morgan smirked._

_It chilled everyone in the stadium. Morgan continued, and in the deep silence, his voice rang out like a church bell. "Oh, but this is a very special Gengar." Morgan chuckled, pacing to and fro. Bruce frowned._

"_How so?" Morgan snapped his fingers._

"_He's from Johto." Everyone gasped in shock. Bruce stood stock still. "Now, Gengar! Zap Cannon!" With that one strike from that awful forbidden move, Medicham fainted._

_Morgan was crowned Champion in a manner of minutes._

_Bruce was executed soon after. The weak could not survive in this world, and he was certainly weak._

"_Now!" Morgan thundered, the Gengar by his side. "Citizens of Kanto! Are you with me!? WE ARE HERE!" He thundered, his face turning red from exertion. "WE ARE HERE FOR A BETTER AND BRIGHTER TOMORROW! AS COMRADES! ARE YOU WITH ME, COMRADES?!" _

_The crowd thundered a resolute, "YES!" Morgan pulled himself up to his imposing full height._

"_THEN," He screamed, taking a deep breath, "YOU MUST LEARN TO HATE!"_

_Someone, anyone, at this moment, could've said something. Could've stopped what was to come, made the crowd falter in their frenzied worship._

_But the only sounds heard were the sounds of screams of hatred._

* * *

It took all the self control I had to refrain from screaming.

Mom said my dad was dead.

But here he was, with a son, and a timid little wife next to him. Which meant... Roger was my half-brother.

This news stunned me into silence.

"So." Morgan interrupted my thoughts. "You're quite a capable trainer, young lady." He frowned. "And how did you come across a Charmander?" I stared back at him, and finally opened my mouth.

"Are you going to punish me?" Morgan smirked. "No, no! Of course not! But I should tell you, those things are pretty dangerous; especially for such a pretty girl as yourself..."

He was talking down to me. And I absolutely hated it. But I kept my composure.

"Sir, with all due respect, I am a Trainer. I can handle a Pokemon. If he gets to be a problem," I backtracked, in case he was in a bad mood, "I shall deal with it accordingly." He nodded.

"You're quite a smart girl. Better watch out—not a good way to get a boy, eh, son?" Roger looked uncomfortable, but nodded. I said nothing.

"Well," Morgan looked up, "It looks like it's time for the dance to start! Will you two dance for us? Just to start everyone off?" We looked at each other.

He knew I knew. I knew he knew that I knew. He smiled.

"Anything you say, dad." We got up, and we grasped hands.

"How'd you figure it out?" Roger hissed as we danced. "_Johto Madness." _I whispered softly. His eyes widened, but he did nothing but nod.

We danced around awkwardly for a bit, and then the others finally joined us. Gold went with Anna, I went with Silver; for the record, he was a terrible dancer.

"Goddamnit, quite stepping on my feet!" I hissed. Silver blushed, and grumbled 'stupid girl', at which I stepped on his foot. See how _he _liked it. "Ow!" He hissed.

Gold and Anna waltzed over. "Aww, did that hurt, baby?" Gold mocked. Making sure no one was looking, he whispered, "_Want me to kiss it better?" _Silver smirked up at him, and looked at me. I shrugged, and rushed off to find Roger.

Anna smirked, and went off to dance with us.

Giving each other a shy glance, the boys rushed off to our room, leaving us behind.

As we danced and had fun, somewhere in the deep recesses of Indigo Plateau, trouble was stirring.

Though I did not see it, it would be something that scarred a man I would come to know—in time, all things in time— forever.

* * *

_A man paced the floor in annoyed rage. "So! Thought you could beat the New Order League, eh?" He asked the chained and shivering man before him. The man was filthy, and showed signs of torture and neglect. He flinched at every word that Judge Tilpin spoke._

"_Sir," He pleaded, "Sir, it's just a Skitty..." The man frowned. "You are aware of the status of the species of Skitty? Last I checked, it was a Feminine Pokemon." The man shook his head._

"_...It was just a family Pokemon! My mother gave her to me!" The man frowned._

"_Tristan." A hurried man rushed up to the judge. "Sir." He said softly. Tristan's loyal Houndoom grunted by his side. Houndoom did not like the judge's tone one bit. The judge frowned._

"_Watch. You have yet to see a Trial." The man looked sickened, but nodded._

_The judge paced the room again, staring at the sobbing man before him. "Your name is Howard Glenn?" The man nodded, his dirty blonde hair falling into his face. The judge shoved a picture at him. A man with long brown hair and warm blue eyes grinned upward from the picture. Howard glanced at it, trying not to show emotion._

"_This is David King. Though I think you already know him?" He purred, voice dropping to a deadly sleek snarl._

_Howard shook his head. "I don't—I don't—" The judge continued. "Really now? You don't know him? Shame, since you've _fucked _each other_ _for the past five years." _

_Howard burst into tears with renewed vigor. The judge frowned._

"_You know the poison you... homosexuals spread in our society? May I remind you of AIDS? STDs? HIV?" Howard shook his head._

"_I'm clean, I swear!" The judge smirked. "So you admit you're a homosexual?" Howard froze. He knew he was trapped. "...I didn't do anything! I swear!" He screamed. The judge spat in his face._

"_Liar. We KNEW. We know all. We see all. Remember that as you're punished." He turned to Tristan. "Take him to the third door on the right. Stay and watch; you're new, and I want you to see how things roll around here." Tristan nodded, barely containing his horror._

_Judge Tilpin forced his hand into Tristan's, so he was forced to take Howard by the hand, and drag him away, just as the judge pulled out a gun. Quickly, so Howard could see, he shot Skitty. Her head snapped back, and she fell. A puddle spread about her head like a perverted halo. She gave one last high-pitched mewl of grief that seemed to echo around the entire chamber. "MANDA!" Howard wailed. "MAAANDDA!" _

_Two guards took him from Tristan. He sat and watched as they chained Howard to a hook hanging from the ceiling. _

_Howard was sobbing, trying to squirm free, all the while screaming for Manda. The guards took no notice._

_Tristan watched as they unveiled a tray of tools. They approached Howard, and one took out a knife. As Howard whimpered in fear, the burlier guard cut up the leg of his pants calmly, and then did the other in the same meticulous fashion._

_Howard whined in fear; he was now stark naked. Tristan said nothing as they picked up another knife. The judge tapped his shoulder, and he jumped, having not even realized he'd walked into the room._

"_Crime: Feminization and Homosexuality. Sentence: Castration." Tristan's eyes widened along with Howard's. He'd known, of course, but he'd refused to believe—_

_It could actually happen, yet it was. And he was about to cry. _

"_NO! Please! I beg of you, please don't I—aaaah, aaah, oh god, oh god, oh GOD! NO, STOP IT, IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS!!" They reached for a small, delicately curved knife, and went for his organ. They sawed it off slowly, while one of the guards whistled a song. Tristan didn't know which one, but it sounded vaguely like 'Umbrella'. _

_The guard had _children. _Yet he did this. Why, oh why? _

_Did he not know the man he persecuted was some mother's son? Just like his children, this man is—was, another's child, another's love, another's reason for being._

_And he was killing him._

"_AAAAH, OH JESUS OH JESUS OH JESUS—" They kept on hacking, and_ it_ was now hanging on only by a bloody scrap. With a final tug, they yanked_ it_ free. _

_With an odd thudding noise,_ it_ fell to the floor. Howard's eyes glazed over with shock, and he only moaned quietly at the guards carved a slit through where his organ had once been. The blood arced out in a strange fanlike fashion, which both disgusted Tristan, and yet made him laugh, for some odd reason._

_The judge stared down impassively at Howard, while the life drained from both his body and his eyes. "Well? You wanted to be a damn girl, so quit complaining, you whore." He spat on the corpse and walked out._

_As both guards walked out, Tristan looked around to make sure no one was there, and then threw up._


	9. Load up on your guns

(A quick note on Gengar, again; Olivia was actually about three, four months old when Roger left. Her memory was unconsciously registering all that had happened, which is why she remembers her father's Gengar. Gengar being nearby coupled with the Johto Madness led to a recalling of the memories.

The memories are vague, but they're there, and they will come into play eventually...

This might seem like it's going by quick, but after this third badge, things are going to slow WAY down, so don't worry.

Ooh, look, another glitch! Name this one, and get a cookie! I don't own Pokemon; I own my OCs. And I changed the song in the chapter titles! What song, you think?)

* * *

It was quiet and cold in the Resistance Order Headquarters. Red was out, along with the other Original Dex Holders, and the only few left were Dia, Pearl, Berlitz, Ruby, and Sapphire. Sitting at the screen of a larger computer, Sapphire frowned.

"Strange... it looks like the S.S. Anne is getting some unwelcome guests. But we didn't send any out there... and the uniforms look like New Order League standard issue... Hey, Ruby! C'mere and see this!" The svelte black-haired boy leaned over her shoulder.

"Weird. You think they're there for Liv and the others? I mean, if they're NOL..." Sapphire shook her head. She pointed to the screen displaying a list of guests.

"Look! The Champion and his kid are on the ship! So the Champ wouldn't order an attack of the ship he was on..." They sat in dumbfounded silence, unsure what to do. The phone lines were down; nobody could warn the group that there was an attack being planned.

So they waited.

Back on the ship, I had sat down finally, discussing battle tactics with Roger and Anna. Silver and Gold were off being themselves, and our Pokemon were wandering around aimlessly.

The party would end soon; then, Roger and I, along with the rest of the Trainers, would probably leave to go get the third badge.

But for now, it was peaceful. Pity, that it couldn't have lasted longer.

A storm of men and women burst into the room, bringing both music and conversation to a screeching halt. They had removed the NOL outfits, and were now wearing Team Rocket uniforms.

Dun _dun_ _dun_.

Silver and Gold, hearing the commotion, had rushed out, and Silver, spying the uniforms, concealed himself in the shadows so as not to be recognized.

The clear leader brandished a gun. "We're here to take every last Pokemon on the ship. Hand 'em over now, and you won't get hurt." The terrified younger children, to their credit, held on to their Pokemon fiercely, and, if not for their terrified and cowardly parents, would have probably died for them.

I was touched.

The adults... maybe they had adjusted to this world, but the children hadn't. There might just be hope...

My hopeful thoughts were interrupted by a shy, skittish Grunt, who quietly stammered, "Uh... give us your P-ppokemon... yeah!" I rolled my eyes. I took out Santi's Pokeball, and chucked it in his face, then recalling it quickly.

Morgan had watched calmly until now. But I suppose there was some shred of fatherly feelings within him for me, and he now stood up, eyes blazing. "That is _quite _enough. Gengar! Arcanine!" The two Pokemon were called out. I fled to him, quickly recognizing Gengar not only from my memory retrieval...

...But from a hazy memory of my own, where I was perhaps a month old, where I had played with a friendly and mischievous Haunter... did he remember me? Gengar eyed me with amusement, and licked me; shivering, I took that as a yes, he remembered.

The Grunt's terror was evident. "Zap Can—" I shrieked, "NO!" Just as Giovanni walked into the room, strolling like he had all the time in the world.

"Olivia! Are you hurt!?" He seemed genuinely stunned. "And where's Si—" I shook my head viciously, and he got the point.

Morgan frowned—but just as quickly, he smiled. "My dearest old friend... how are you?" I blinked. Surely, I must've missed something. Morgan was the reason Giovanni must've attacked the ship, right? So...

Giovanni frowned. "So, you take to calling me friend, even now? Even after what you've done?" Morgan kept grinning. Giovanni continued. "You abandoned your _child, _Morgan." I almost gasped. Giovanni knew about me!? Was I the only one who didn't know who my dad was?!

Morgan's grin faltered, and he snarled, "In case you hadn't noticed, so did you!" He screamed, voice rising to a temper pitch. Giovanni sighed, and shook his head, smiling sadly.

"...And I regret it each and every day of my life. The difference in our acts is in our _intentions, _Morgan. You had no reason to leave Livid the way you did." Morgan knew exactly who he was talking about.

Morgan snorted, nostrils flaring like an enraged bull's. "So, I take it yours were so _noble _that they overrode the fact that your child got _kidnapped!?" _Giovanni shook his head.

"No. It's not just that; it's that my child _has forgiven me_. I don't think yours has." Morgan snapped his head in my direction, the eyes that were so much like mine blazing with a cold fury.

"We'll see!" He snapped. Rounding on me, he asked, "Well? Do you forgive me!?" I looked at him, and his eyes... they scared me. Terrified, I hid in Gengar's shoulder. Giovanni frowned. I took a breath, and my shoulders shuddered.

"...I don't _know!" _I screamed, turning away and pressing myself into the corner. "I DON'T KNOW ANYMORE!" I kept myself glued to the crevice of the corner, praying that they'd all just go away. Giovanni shook his head.

Morgan made a disgusted face, and reached for me, but—

"_Keep away from Livvy!" _Jack had come exploding out of his Pokeball, and he stood there, all foot-and-a-half of him, fur standing on end as he growled ferociously at Morgan. He continued, in a deadly serious squeaky voice. "_You're being mean! Leave her alone!" _His fur was fully fluffed, and he was baring his teeth.

Giovanni found this oddly funny, but Jack was so deadly serious that he restrained from laughing. I freaked. "Jack! Jack!" He stood his ground, and glared up at Morgan. Morgan stared at him.

He turned away, and stormed back to Roger. Roger was gazing at the entire scene with a terrified glaze in his eyes. Giovanni sighed.

In a shaking voice, as Morgan left the room, I called, "_Daddy." _And he turned to me.

And he smiled. "_Princess..." _He might've said, softly, so quietly I barely heard, but he called out an Alakazam, and ordered, "Teleport!" Roger waved goodbye as they all disappeared.

I burst into tears. Jack leapt up into my arms, snuggling himself against my chest. I buried my face in his fur, and just cried for a few minutes. Giovanni stood away, ordering the Grunts to give the poor kids their Pokemon back, for Mew's sake. I couldn't help but smile at this.

Silver, Gold, and Anna rushed out from the corner. "Dad, I—" Giovanni grasped Silver in a hug so tight it was a wonder either of them could breathe. "I'm so sorry." Giovanni gasped. "_So _sorry..." Silver just stood there, feeling slightly awkward.

"It's... okay. I mean, you're sorry; so I forgive you..." He said, face turning red. Gold snickered, but kept it quiet after a look from Anna.

I sat down at this, looking up at the ceiling.

...Morgan had started this. He was the one responsible for the awful overhaul of this region, but...

He was my father, too. And I just...

I put it out of my mind. The entire mess was for another day. Gold broke the silence.

"So." He said, looking a little edgy, "Morgan Kent, the evil badass boss dude we're trying to bring down... is Liv's dad." I nodded.

"That about sums it up." Gold shrugged in a 'whatever' motion. That gave me a rush of sheer relief. He made a 'bang' motion with his billiard stick.

"Feh. The sins of the fathers don't apply here; you've already proven that." As refreshed as I felt by those words, I still worried.

Giovanni looked around. "...Well. I suggest you go." Most people had fled the room, but the fact that they'd seen him was enough. We all nodded. "Dad!—" Silver hugged him quickly, and before anyone could register, he had torn like mad out of the room.

"Sufficiently awkward?" Gold said. I nodded.

"Hellz yah."

We all sighed, and departed the ship, but as we left, I noticed a lonely pickup truck just idling away by the ship. It looked ancient; dirt was practically breathing on the truck. I shrugged.

"Well, let's go see what's inside..." I figured maybe there'd be something interesting in an old truck!

"Mantaro!" Gold called, hopping on the aquatic flier. He took us all over quickly, and once we got there...

"Well, now what?" Anna asked. I shrugged. I didn't exactly have a game plan. Silver glanced down. "It looks like there's something under it! C'mon, let's push the truck!" We all grasped the end of it, and pushed—

A Pokeball lay in the dirt. It was a clear, crystalline thing, perfect and unmarred by the dirt surrounding it. I shrugged, and picked it up—

A white light filled the entire area, and we all must've blacked out... but before I did, I saw a flash of pink.

* * *

_-Jack's POV-_

The Pokeball seemed to glow in Olivia's hands. I was worried, but I had no time to warn her, as my entire line of vision was filled with blinding light.

"_Hola, little chico! Como estas?" _It was... Mew. I gaped. "_I think you just insulted someone's mother in Spanish." _I snickered. Ignoring me, she looked gleeful, and floated upside down, looking me right in the face with her beautiful cerulean eyes. "_So! Your friends found my Pokeball! That's cool... I guess." _Mew shrugged. I gasped.

Mew!? Had a POKEBALL!? I voiced this out loud, I suppose, because Mew nodded. "_A very long time ago, I was caught by a strange Trainer from far away... she was raised in the Dragon's Den... like your Trainer, right? Well, anyways, she caught me, but released me, hiding the Pokeball far away, where she thought no one could get it... I mean, seriously! This wasn't supposed to happen!" _That, I admit, confused me.

What? It slid out so easily for Livvy and the others... I asked her, "_Do you know why it happened?" _She shrugged.

"_Nope. But anyways, how's it going with Liv?" _I frowned. "_Well... Santi evolved into a Charmeleon. And I still haven't evolved. Which sucks, I guess. But I stood up for her on the S.S. Anne, and I think now she likes me a little more. I'm still working hard on evolving!" _Mew nodded sagely.

"_Oh, and the Pokeball; you need to keep it. Jack, if you ever need me, I can be summoned with that ball. It'll need to stay with you. Out of sight. It'll get smaller, and you can hide it under your fur; loop it around a string." _She look up at the sky.

"_I wish I could stay; but now there's an urgent meeting, 'cause my Pokeball was found. Be careful. Don't let anyone have that thing. You got me?" _I nodded, and as she disappeared, I felt the white fade away.

* * *

-_Olivia's POV-_

What just happened? I honestly don't know, but I'm holding that crystal Pokeball again, and it's just sitting there innocently. I shrug, and as everyone orients themselves, I shove it in my bag.

Jack got out of his Pokeball somehow, and is staring at me with big, innocent eyes. I sigh, and pick him up. He nudges the Pokeball, and his emotions blaze, '_I need to keep it.' _Shrugging, I shrink it small, and give it to him. He clenches it gently in his teeth. He gestures to a string hanging off my skirt, and I get the message. Yanking the string free, I knot it around the button in the center, cinching it tight, and tuck it snugly under his ruff.

"So, I guess that Pokeball must've been ancient, huh?" Gold muses, as we speed back to the harbor. I nod, and check again to make sure it's safe. Jack is holding onto it like a love letter. I smile a bit, and pick him up.

Santi, Grimwald, and Lev all are called out, and they walked with me, Grimwald once again taking a place on my shoulder.

I walked past the harbor, and looked up at the Gym. There was a giant tree in the way of the entrance. "...Uh. So, anyone have ideas—"

"_SATANIC HEAD BITEY!" _Grimwald solved the problem, and, further proving he had Raticate blood _somewhere, _began gnawing on the tree. Lev thought it looked quite fun.

"_NOM NOM NOM!! I EAT TREE!" _He roared, banging his head into the tree, gripping it with his teeth, and pulling it out again in a process he found quite amusing.

The tension I'd been feeling suddenly evaporated at this display, and I began to laugh, nervously at first, then getting louder and louder. And though I didn't quite register it, everyone was laughing along with me.

The tree was eventually knocked down, and we daintily stepped over it to the gym. I looked up.

"Well." I muttered. "Here we go again."


	10. Bring your friends

(Keeper, I'd just like to respond to you and everyone else that thinks all this is going nowhere, or has no point; do you believe in serendipity? Because everything that is/has happened/happening will make sense eventually. It's all going to fuel many, many, plot points. Okay? And for the record, the idea of Opal is Keeper's, while his personality-to-be is mine.

Also, most, if not all, of the next chapter will be in flashback, explaining the past of one of my favorite characters. And some important points will be revealed! So stay tuned!)

* * *

Mew sighed, and swiveled her head around to stare at all the Legends assembled in the court. They were all here to discuss the oh-so-important matter of her Pokeball being found. She, personally, did not particularly care. But she was forced to attend anyways, since, well, it was her Pokeball.

She tried to be inconspicuous as she fell asleep. Arceus was babbling about something or other. "_Blah blah blah... world domination... blah blah blah... total destruction if Pokeball is put in wrong hands... blah blah blah... MEW! ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION!?" _The Alpha roared. She opened one bleary eye.

"_...No." _She grumbled. Arceus rolled his eyes. "_Oh, well, do so. This is important. You gave YOUR POKEBALL, the Pokeball of a GODDESS, to an Eevee and his unstable trainer. In short, _are you CRAZY?!" He shrieked. Mew drew herself up.

"_I trust him. And the girl will keep the both of them safe." _Arceus frowned.

"_It's not a question of whether or not you trust them; it's a question about how much they'll be able to stand. The League the humans have established is going to want to get their hands on the Pokeball."_

Mew shook her head. "_The kid's the daughter of the head honcho at the League. They probably won't go after her." _Arceus nodded.

"_Emphasis on probably." _Mew sighed.

"_Well? What do you want me to do? Hide it again?" _Arceus shook his head.

"_No... let's see how this turns out. Let's see if they can handle it." _Mew frowned.

"_If they can't, they'll likely die." _Arceus shrugged.

"_As long as the Pokeball is safe, I don't particularly care. It's one human, one Pokemon, versus the entire human and Pokemon races. The math doesn't add up." _Arceus looked around. "_Meeting is adjourned." _

Mew breezed past every other Legendary to find the one she was looking for. "_Giratina!" _The Death Dragon looked up at her. Mew recoiled slightly. Giratina was one of the most imposing Legends there was; he was in control of the entire Realm of Death, in the Reverse World. Simply put, he was intimidating. And voted "Most likely to kill us all" in the last Legends meeting.

"_...Mew. I take it you need my help with the Eevee?" _He grumbled. Mew nodded.

"_I just... if they die, make sure the Pokeball's safe, like Arceus said." _Giratina nodded.

"_And do me a favor; please talk to one of the dead in the Cemetery. Her name is... Celeste. Celeste Trent. Just ask her about the Pokeball. She'll know what you mean." _Giratina nodded, and disappeared.

With that task accomplished, Mew decided to go back to sleep.

* * *

_The Reverse World is cold. Not in the way that a snowy day is, but a kind of cold that chills the heart and soul. Giratina was picked to rule over it because it was said he had no heart or soul to cool._

_But he did. And it ached him to do what he did, but he kept to his duties because there was no one else to perform them. _

_But for each child, mother, lover, and friend that died, a part of his heart throbbed in sympathy._

_They pleaded with him; begged him, cajoled him, threatened and bargained with him to let them live. But he had no authority over who died; he was only the one that picked up the pieces after a life was shattered irreparably._

_There were so many more deaths, these days. More rules in society meant more corpses of the ones that broke them._

_But this girl Mew spoke of, he remembered. And he knew where she'd be._

_He found her exactly where she always was. In front of the memorial to everyone that had ever died. The slab of onyx was so long and so high, no one had ever seen to the end, or to the top. And it kept growing._

_Giratina appeared behind her. She said nothing for a long minute. "Celeste." He rumbled. This caused her to turn around, and glare at him. "What do you want?" Giratina shook his head._

"_It's not what I want, it's what Mew wants." Evidently, she still remembered what she'd accomplished. "Mew's back? What does she want, then?" Giratina's eyes glowed a menacing red for a minute._

"_The Pokeball, Celeste. The Pokeball that you caught her in. A child found it; a girl by the name of Olivia Kent. She's from the same place you came from, you know." Celeste braved his gaze for a long minute. Then she smirked._

"_So, you suppose she's my daughter or whatnot?" Giratina nodded. "I suppose that's what Mew wondered, yes." Celeste sighed, and smirked._

"_I had a child, true. But it wasn't her. My child was a boy. A boy by the name of Opal." Giratina nodded. Her eyes became pleading. "Please, please tell me. I've been searching this wall for a long time, reading name after name. Tell me, is my son alive?" Giratina's eyes glowed again._

"_...Yes." _

* * *

I grunted in annoyance, surveying the entire scene of the gym. They'd taken away the switch traps, which bemused me slightly; what was the point in that?

The Gym Leader was currently taking someone else's challenge. I registered myself, and went to watch the match. It was winding down, apparently; they both appeared to have one Pokemon left.

The Gym Leader, a large, dark-skinned man who looked to be about twenty-eight or so, had a Magnezone on his side. The boy had a Mightyena.

It was fairly matched; the Mightyena was gutsy, and took hits that would've felled other Pokemon. I noted the skill of the Magnezone, however; it was a part-Steel type, and as such, took hits fairly well too.

The battle dragged on for about ten minutes more, during which obscenities were hurled by the spectators to move on, already—but eventually, the Mightyena won out, and the badge was given.

I got a good look at the leader. He appeared tense, and probably waiting to revenge himself for his loss. I gulped. Great.

I walked down, and stepped into the area. "Go crazy Johto girl!" Gold cheered from above. I rolled my eyes. The leader gazed at me. And then he spoke, in a deep and rumbling voice, that sounded more like an earthquake, if anything; "Johto girl, eh? Well, won't this be interestin'..." I got another look at him. Closer up, he seemed a lot... well, nicer. He had laugh lines already, and his eyes glimmered with humor.

I couldn't help but smile at him, and it was soon returned. The announcer called, "Okay! Match between Olivia Kent and Jerome Hanley!" He winked at me, and tossed out his first Pokeball.

"Go, Shocks!" A Pikachu leapt out onto the battlefield. I noted the nickname with a bit of amusement and impressed feelings; it wasn't commonplace to nickname Pokemon, and I respected him for that; but Shocks? Really?

I thought for a minute. Grimwald jumped down from my shoulder, and hissed at Shocks. I snickered. So Grimwald's cuteness was challenged; he was in it for honor.

Grimwald mimed taking off a glove, and slapped Shocks. "_You, sir! We duel now!" _I rolled my eyes. "Grimwald, go! Use Crunch!" Jerome didn't even blink.

"Volt Tackle." I swore. Grimwald tried to leap out of the way, but he was hit. Grimwald, however, was barely fazed, and clamped down on Shocks' tail. He howled in pain, and tried to shake him off, but Grimwald held fast.

"Now use Discharge!" I called. Grimwald let loose a bolt of blue electricity, bringing Shocks down. Grimwald leapt back, and surveyed his opponent. He tried to stand, stumbled—and slumped down.

"Shocks is unable to battle! Olivia Kent wins Round one!" I high-fived Grimwald, and he leapt back up onto my shoulder. Jerome frowned.

"Oh, damn it all. Zoner!" The Magnezone from before flew out, apparently ready to go. I selected Santi's Pokeball, and tossed it out.

"Quick! Start things off with a Flamethrower!" Santi spewed flames in Zoner's direction. Jerome shook his head.

"Zoner, use Zap Cannon!" I froze. Silver roared. "What the hell? He can't use that!" Gold checked his Pokedex grimly.

"Uh, yeah, he actually can. It's a legit move for Magnezone." He announced, checking Magnezone's Pokedex page. Silver slumped down in his seat. "She's so fucked."

Santi got the full brunt of it. I felt like screaming in frustration. But amazingly, he stood up from his self-made crater, and made a 'come on, fool' motion to Zoner. Both Jerome and I were amazed.

"Uh. Santi! Flamethrower again, and aim for the red spot!" He blasted Zoner back, and this time, it looked like serious damage had been dealt.

"Zap Cannon!" Jerome ordered. It hit Santi again, and I knew there was no way he could stand it. Sure enough, he'd fainted. I swore quietly, and recalled him.

Zoner floated there evilly. "_Bitch." _I grumbled. I checked my arsenal; Grimwald wouldn't be of much help, and Lev was worthless in an Electric-type gym.

That left Useless. _Crap. _

But I guess I didn't have a choice. I tossed the Pokeball out. "Jack! Use Shadow Ball!" He backflipped, and hit Zoner back on the red dot. Zoner hummed in annoyance.

"Try a Thunderbolt! Don't think we'll need much firepower for this little 'un, huh?" Jerome roared. Jack looked downcast. I couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity.

"Jack! Don't listen to him! You can do it! Use Dig!" Jerome frowned, as Jack burrowed himself underground.

"Magnezone floats; it'll miss him." I shook my head, and grinned.

"Dig up! Shadow Ball out of the hole!" A black blob of ectoplasm flew out of the hole, and struck Magnezone's bottom.

In a dramatic whirring of gears, Magnezone fainted. Both Jerome and Jack were stunned. I was merely amused.

"...Okay. You've managed to surprise me. But I won't loose twice in one day! Livewire!" An Electabuzz rubbed his feelers together, and leered at Jack.

This one didn't have the Levitate Ability. I smirked. "Dig, Jack!" He burrowed his way underground again. Jerome frowned.

"Livewire, when he comes up, use Thunderpunch!" I shook my head.

"Then don't come up! Jack! Shadow Ball!" Jack popped up from behind Livewire, and threw a Shadow Ball at the back of his head. Livewire howled in pain, and grabbed Jack from the hole, and tossed him up.

I got an idea. "As you come down, bite his FACE OFF!" I cackled, as Jack did just that, gripping Livewire's nose. Livewire shrieked, and danced around, trying to get off the foxlike appendage that had mysteriously become stuck to his nose.

Even the audience snickered. Jerome frowned. "Thunderbolt!" I groaned. "Hurry up and Dig!" Jack got down just in time, burrowing under. "COME UP!" I shrieked, and he did so, sending Livewire skidding.

He stumbled, but did not get up.

"...Holy shit, Jack just won something." I gaped. "Wow!" I ran over to him, and swung him up, spinning him around and around. "You did it, Useless!" I hugged him tightly, and buried my face in his ruff.

I sneezed; it was really thick, and it forced me to realize the Gym Leader standing in front of me, his teeth bared at me in a grin.

"_Red was right. You are good." _He whispered. As he pressed the badge in my hand, I stared incredulously up at him. He winked again. "_It doesn't hurt to have allies inside the workings, miss." _And with that, he departed the arena.

"...Uh." I was at a loss for words. Jack was jumping about my ankles. "_We did it, Livvy! We did it, we did it!" _I nodded.

As we made a quick pitstop at the Pokemon Center, Gold checked his map. "So, next is Rock Tunnel, then Celadon City! Who's up for it?" We all screeched, "YES!" And ran off.

As we ran, Anna stopped, bent over, and took a sharp intake of breath, as her face flushed a blanched white. Akira was at her side in an instant.

"_Doll? What's wrong?" _She raised an eyebrow, coughed, and said nothing. Akira looked at her, and his eyes glowed white.

"Don't you use those goddamn mind tricks on me, you bastard! You can't get to me! I know what you're thinking!" She spat, struggling to stand upright. She glared at Akira, and rushed off, oddly quick for someone who had been short of breath about five minutes before.

"_Doll...? Doll! Come back!" _Akira looked at the thin form of his retreating lover. Shaking his head, he rushed off for the others.


	11. It's fun to lose and to pretend

(Wotcher! I've got a new chapter for you, and you're probably all going to kill me for it, if you hadn't guessed already. I will get back to the actual plot next chapter, but since she's so cool, she needed her own flashback-tastic chapter. If her symptoms aren't perfect, I'm sorry, I don't have a lot to go on. At the very least, I hope you like it.

Peace out, I don't own.)

* * *

Do you know when you will die?

I do.

Feels like one hundred years away, but then again, life is not always best viewed in the sideways mirror.

It'll come for me.

I will face Death as an equal, and on my own terms. I won't let her sneak up on me from behind, grab me by the neck, and drag my away, kicking and screaming. I will go willingly, no matter the cost.

...I should back up from the beginning.

My name is Anna Montgomery. I am a Resistance Fighter, and I have five Pokemon, one of which is my soul mate, my lone companion and friend in life. His name is Akira, and I love him.

He was my first Pokemon.

We were a well-to-do family in Pewter; I rubbed elbows with the children of the Sierra family; Soledad was the closest thing I had to a friend for a long time.

And then there were the Greystones, the Quartzes, and the Mica families. They all flocked around me. I was the best trainer in the School. Though that wasn't saying much, since I was almost fifteen.

Also, the School had almost _nothing _to actually do with Pokemon. It was just a way for kids to learn that, 'golly gee whiz, those Pokemon sure are little vicious critters, aren't they? Jeeves! My mint julep and cigar!'

And there was a lot to do with the 'Status Conditions' of a Pokemon. That's basically what always occupied the board, and it was, frankly, after five years, a little disquieting to know that they hadn't discovered anything more worthwhile than, 'Antidote kills Poison!"

Really? Glad to hear it.

My parents were incredibly overprotective. They kept me locked in my gilded cage of wealth and flights of fancy. They took me to dances and parties, charity balls and galas, all the while grooming me for the life of a socialite.

I thought I wanted that life; it was soft and flabby, a life of getting _such_ a fat arse from sitting all the time, and a brain of meringue for want of intelligent thought.

But for all its flaws, I was told it was the best way to stay alive; the world outside was barbaric and cannibalistic. The world was a vampire that would drain you dry and use your skin to paper its walls.

So I stayed, and I partied, mixing with every fine young gentleman who caught my parents fancy. They were all the same; great conversationalists about themselves. I was merely supposed to nod every so often, and usually, they bored me close enough to sleep that I could manage this for a night or two.

Even without a suitor, my parents prized me like a gem. I was their entire world, and they loved me unconditionally. I loved them back, even though in my heart, I always felt that something wasn't quite... right.

So I started to sneak away from the parties. I wanted to find out what I needed badly enough that I would sometimes wake up crying, wanting something but not knowing exactly _what _I needed.

I turned to Pokemon battling. It filled the hole, at least for awhile. I didn't wake up crying as much anymore.

The School did actually have a supply of Pokemon; me and a few of the street urchins stole them, and used them in practice battles.

But no one knew of my passion for Pokemon battling, except the urchins, and they had no one to tell. But I suppose than even then, the League was watching us all.

My family had a red X over its door, but now that I was away from the home, the red X no longer applied to me. I was no longer safe from surveillance.

And I loved it. Having something to hate, for the first time in my life. _That _filled the void. When I had nothing to do but sit and simper about the weather, well, my mind wasn't working on much.

But when I had something to hate, it kicked into overdrive, giving me the most _wonderful _rush of energy.

The League didn't say anything. They let me have at it, waiting until the right time to do something about me, the little rich girl delinquent.

So it came as a surprise to my parents when I was picked to be a Trainer. They drove me down to Pallet, in fact. They oversaw Gary Oak as he gave the speech he gave to every other trainer.

I surveyed the list. "I want Ralts." I said. A Psychic type would be useful enough. My parents nodded, approving the choice. Gary thought for a second, and surveyed me. He grinned, and instead of taking one from the tube, he handed me a Pokeball on his belt.

"...I found this one a while ago. He needs a good trainer. Can I trust you with it?" He released the Ralts. The coloring was slightly off; it was a cornflower sort of blue, and had tangerine horns. I blinked.

"...Okay?" I told him, nodding at the Ralts.

This one was without a doubt, male. Female Ralts were all that were given out to female Trainers; Gallade weren't prohibited by this point, under Bruce, but they were becoming frowned upon. And Gary obviously knew it.

He was baiting me, seeing my reaction. I smirked, and shrugged up at him, recalling Ralts, and walking out with my parents.

When we got back to Pewter, I challenged Flint, the old brother of some strange kid I sort-of knew named Brock. I quickly lost. With resolve in my heart, I trained—and named—Ralts.

His name was Akira; knowledge. And our bond grew as we trained; we learned from each other, learned how to survive as Pokemon and trainer.

We became so strong. By the time we challenged Flint again, I'd caught Lucifer, who was at that point just a Poochyena, and we were fully prepared.

It was during a crucial moment in the match with the Graveler that Akira decided would be a good time to evolve. He stood there, a Kirlia. He grinned, and unleashed a Psychic that won us the battle.

I was amazed beyond belief. I hugged him happily, and I promised him we'd be the best pair of fighters ever.

Before I die, you know, I'd like to make good on that promise. If I have the all-precious gift of time.

But I'm drifting off subject.

We tackled the first three gyms with ease. He was itching to evolve, and I wanted him to, but I didn't know how to procure a Dawn Stone. They were almost exclusively a Sinnoh stone, and the ones that Kanto DID have were well over eighteen thousand Poke-pounds.

I didn't want to ask my parents for help; they could've afforded it, but I wanted to do this on my own.

So we continued on our way to Celadon. Lucifer had evolved, and so had my Trapinch, Subakami. She was, thankfully, strong enough to carry me around. We had just cleared Rock Tunnel when we decided to make camp.

* * *

"_Anna? Are you okay?" _Akira asked me that night. I had been sitting outside, watching the stars winking at me, just thinking about how quiet it was, and how nice that could be. I patted the ground next to me absentmindedly, making the gesture almost subconsciously.

"I suppose so, yes. C'mere, sit with me, would ya?" We sat in silence. Neither of us made a single sound, not even to breathe. Together, we watched the sun rise.

The valley below us turned gold, a flaming phoenix rising from the dark. The trees were molten sun, glimmering brightly enough that they appeared to be ablaze.

"_...The world is quiet here." _Akira whispered, staring at the flaming sphere of energy. The sun was slowly rising. As it did, he smiled. "_Wotcher. Isn't this nice?" _I nodded.

He took my hand in his. I smiled, and clasped his slim hand in mine. He leaned against me, and whispered, "_Close your eyes." _I did, but the white glow permeated my eyelids, giving me the impression I was blinded for life.

It stopped glowing soon enough. Without him asking, I opened my eyes. He stood there, fully evolved. His eyes glimmered mischievously at me. His arms had blades on the ends of them, taut muscle and skin formed to protect and serve his trainer.

His legs had gotten longer, and the skirt-like thing and pigtail feelers had shortened; instead, his head gave the appearance of being under a cerulean helmet. His single head horn was still a violent tangerine.

I blinked. "..." I didn't want to break the bubble surrounding the moment. He did it for me, thankfully. "_I suppose the sun's rising must've mimicked the Dawn Stone, huh?" _I continued to stare.

"...I guess." I checked the map. "Oh, and we're near Evolution Mountain; that place where all the stones come from. I guess it amplifies the dawn and dusk around here." And just like that, we were left with nothing to say.

He shook his head. And for a second, his eyes welled with tears. He knelt before me, and placed his hand on my waist. I almost squeaked in shock. Well, I wasn't expecting that. He grinned.

"..._I will serve you all my days. I swear this, as your loyal servant. You will be my life, Anna." _I was stunned by this burst of love. I wasn't complaining, but it was a bit unexpected.

The hits just kept on coming. He smiled at me, and pulled himself up. He wound his arms around my waist, and pulled me to him. "_...The world is quiet here." _He repeated, laying his chin on the top of my head. I said nothing for a minute. Then, with a smile, I said;

"Yes."

* * *

Celadon City wasn't far away. The trip was quick; I hung on to Subakami's legs, and her Vibrava wings carried me there. I had guiltily recalled Akira, but I didn't have the means to carry him, too.

Over the buzzing of Suba's wings, I contemplated Akira's new form. His eyes were still the same. His gentle, loving, intelligent eyes. The real Dawn Stone's glimmer could never have matched those things.

His body was the color of marble and cerulean. To put it shortly, he was a work of art. I didn't, at the time, think this was wrong in the slightest. I hadn't had enough experience with either sex to determine what was wrong or not.

But the League was doing that for me as I contemplated this, so to speak.

We arrived in Celadon, and I released Akira, taking him with me to the Game Corner. He took a few coins out of my hands, and played a slot.

Moments later, he was handing me a giant stuffed Vulpix. He grinned, having just won the jackpot. I smiled, and hugged him. "Thank you." He kept grinning, and took my hand, and led me out of the Game Corner.

"_Let's paint the town red, doll." _And with that, we rushed off to do just that.

That was the best night of my life, until the ending. We were on the roof on the Celadon Department store, and we had gotten each other Lemonades. We stared at the stars for awhile, until Akira broke the silence.

"_I love you." _He said matter-of-factly. I turned to him, and gazed at him incredulously. His eyes crinkled in a smile. "_I am serious, you know." _I shook my head.

"It's not that. I just... I just..." I was probably preparing a great retort to this, when he stopped all thought by hugging me.

"_Sssh. Just accept it at face value for the moment, will you, doll?" _He whispered cheerily in my ear. I tried really hard not to melt into him, I really did. But it was impossible, and I just gave up and _melted. _

* * *

I don't even remember kissing. All I remember after that is a gun being pointed at my head.

"_Whore." _A heavy man's voice hissed, breath arid and warm in my ear. I shuddered. I tried to call out to Akira, but he saw my lips move, and shoved the gun into my head, painfully colliding with my skull.

Akira was being held in place by a group of snarling Mightyena. He was powerless; Psychic wouldn't work on Dark types, and he had no other way of getting out of that situation.

So he did the most illogical and crazy thing he could; he fought them in hand-to-hand combat.

With any other Gallade, this would make sense. But he had just evolved, and was still adjusting to his extendable swords and newfound fighting ability.

They leapt on him like rabid wolves, until he disappeared under a writhing and squirming mass of fur. I opened my mouth to scream, but my vocal cords disobeyed me. I closed my eyes, and readied to accept my fate, and as the gun suddenly burst into life behind me, I prayed to whoever was up there that it wouldn't hurt—

"_No." _That one word was spoken with so much intensity that looking back on it, I honestly wondered if it was his voice and not his Psychic that shattered the gun.

The Mightyena lay in a heap by the soda machine. I was stunned, but chose to leave that for later.

The man was left staring at me. I sized him up as I turned around. He was a League employee, a plainclothes one from the look of him. I looked back at Akira. His sword was almost rent in two, and it was practically gushing an ocean of blood. He shrugged sheepishly, as if to say, '_What can you do, eh?' _

"Akira." I said calmly. "Stand by." He stood at attention, and did the best he could to heal the wound with his mind. I turned to the man.

"Either leave us now, or I will not hesitate to have him kill you. Or," I stated, leaning in closer to him, "I will do it myself." The man got one look at my face, and fled, recalling the Mightyena as he went.

The citizens on the roof stared at us in amazement. I looked at Akira. "_So. Um, anyone here a doctor?" _

We rushed him to the hospital, and they stitched him up best they could; it was too much a job for a Joy. I sighed, and fell asleep that night fitfully.

The next morning, I woke up coughing. I shrugged it off, even though my throat was raw. It might've just been a cold.

That's what I kept telling myself as we traveled away from Celadon. That it was just a cold, or a stomach bug, or whatever excuses my mind concocted.

And then it got worse. It escalated from coughing fits to sessions of vomiting that were so awful they left my mouth feeling like a vat of acid had spilled inside it, and from sleepiness every so often to me feeling so weak it took every effort I had to stand, much less walk.

Yet I denied what was becoming an obvious truth; that I was seriously ill. I ignored it, and pretended it didn't exist; that way, I wouldn't have to deal with it. I just slept, or used Subakami to fly me around.

Akira knew something was up, but out of respect from me, said nothing until that night where I literally passed out mid-flight. I slid off Subakami, and fell down. I should've screamed or done something, but I was just too tired.

Akira exploded out of his Pokeball, and used a Psychic to levitate me. We were at eye level, and I was left staring at him. His eyes were widened with fear, and set in determination.

"_You're going to a doctor." _

* * *

We found one quickly enough in Fuchsia; they had a lot of doctors for Safari-Zone incidents, which I suppose they had by the dozen.

The man took one look at me, before flooring us all with his declaration.

"She has leukemia. And it's too late to do anything, I'm afraid."

My parents had been summoned; conveniently, they had been in Fuchsia to celebrate the Warden's daughter's marriage. My mother burst into tears. My father kept a rigid composure, but his eyes betrayed his horror.

I stared at him, and in a raspy, rattling voice, I asked, "How long?" The doctor frowned.

"I'd say about a year or two, even with treatment. I'm sorry." I nodded, and left my parents to keep discussing treatment options.

I went through one vicious round of chemotherapy before I refused any more treatment. My hair fell out, and I was even worse than before.

Instead, I took my Pokemon, and ran away, to find the person I had been seeking for so long.

Red.

He was the stuff of legend; he was whispered in secret gatherings. He was the forbidden; he had, by this point, a three hundred thousand Poke-pound bounty on his head. But some people say he lived inside Mt. Moon, biding his time for a strike against the League.

I hunted him down, going through Fuchsia and Saffron, and collecting their badges before setting off for Mount Moon. It took me about a month, and without the treatment, I suppose you could say I thrived; at the least, I didn't throw up anymore.

The mouth of the cave loomed ominously at me. I was stricken by another fainting spell, and clutching my head, I slumped down, striking a rock on the way.

A door on the side of the mountain opened slowly. I stared up at it in amazement. "_Should we go in?" _Akira asked hesitantly. I nodded, and clutching him for support, I limped in.

The entire place was like a kid's idea of a lab for evil villains. I snorted in laughter. He was kidding, surely. But I supposed not, since after all, he'd evaded capture for so long.

There was a lone man sitting there. Red. He smiled faintly at me. "I heard you've been looking for me. Why?" I looked at Akira, and I looked at Red.

"...I want to fight. This entire League." I don't think he had been expecting that, and could only choke out, "Why?" I grinned.

"Kid, I've got about a year left to live. If I'm going to die, I might as well do it with a bang."

Those words foretold my death better than any doctor ever could.

And as she saw me make the biggest decision of my life—

Death laughed.


	12. How does it feel to be ashamed

(Okay. I am WAY sorry for not updating. I wanted to finish SYOTOS, and after that, I had major writer's block, so it's a miracle I didn't discontinue this, natch.

Okay! Plot twists ahoy! Now, for some credit; the basic idea of Opal Fletcher belongs to The Keeper of Truth, who writes awesome fics, and has helped this trainwreck of a fic along, so go thank him and review Overdue Sunrise.

NAO.

Anyways, yeah, sorry for not updating, new developments, I hate Rock Tunnel, and I don't own!)

* * *

It was such a nice day out. Why was the girl crying?

I gestured quietly to my Espeon, Amai, to follow me as I approached her. She was slumped on the ground, crying quietly, apparently believing that no one was around.

"...Excuse me, ma'am. Are you alright?" I asked her softly. She jumped about five feet into the air, and then caught my eye. She assessed me quickly, decided I wasn't a threat, and shook her head.

"...I've been separated from my friends. I ran off. Would you mind helping me find them?" She asked quietly, standing up. I nodded.

"Amai, scan the area for people." Her whiskers quivered, and her head snapped north. I nodded. "Well, she scents people that way. Maybe it's your friends." The girl nodded.

"Thank you so much. My name's Anna Montgomery. What's your name?" I began walking behind Amai, and before turning back to her, I called, "Opal... Opal Fletcher."

* * *

Gold, Silver, and I were engaged in three-way training as Akira paced crazily around the area. "_Where could she be!?" _He roared, wringing his hands in fear. "_It's not like her to run off!" _I rolled my eyes, and said, "She'll be fine. She's probably finding her way back right now." Akira ignored me, and kept on pacing.

"...Hey, guys. Sorry I ran off." Akira's head shot up, and he raced toward her voice, and tackled the girl, sweeping her off her feet. "_Doll! You're okay!" _He cried, thrilled out of his mind, apparently. Anna sighed.

"I'm fine, yes, Akira. This is Opal; he helped me find you guys with his Espeon." I took a good look at him.

Goddamn, for starters, he was gorgeous. His hair was a honeyed light brown, and his skin was a slightly tanned whitish sort of color. His eyes were the color of limes, and he had freckles on his nose. He grinned in my direction.

"Hey. I see you're training an Eevee?" All intelligent thought went out of my brain.

Curse this man! How dare he take away my thought process!

"...Uh. Yeah, yeah, I am. His name's Jack. Mine's Olivia Kent." Jack had gone over to investigate the Espeon, who chorused in with a silky _"Hello. I am Amai." _His thoughts were shocked, having never experienced telepathy before.

The boy said, "My name's Opal Fletcher. It's nice to meet you, Olivia." I nodded self-consciously, aware of Silver and Gold snickering behind me. Opal continued, "Well, dear, I was wondering, would you grace me with a battle? It would be good experience for your Pokemon, I believe." I nodded again.

"Sure, I'd like that. How many do you have?" He smiled faintly. "I have three available." I nodded, and we headed over to the makeshift field Silver and Gold had been practicing with me on. He selected a Pokeball from his belt, and called, "Solba!" An Absol leapt down gracefully, evidently female.

I thought for a moment. I didn't have any Pokemon with a distinct type advantage, and this Absol looked really tough; best to use Santi, who had evolved. "Okay, Santi! You're up, and use Flamethrower!" He spewed out a steady stream of flames at the Absol, but Opal retaliated.

"Water Pulse." He ordered. The Absol sent out a steady stream of water. Santi barely dodged, and I gasped, and turned to Opal.

"How did you do that?!" Opal smiled, and said quietly, "Absol can learn many different types of moves. They're quite useful little Pokemon." I groaned, and shook my head.

"Santi, return!" He headed back to my side, and I called, "Grimwald!" The Pachirisu flew out on the battlefield, and hissed at Solba. Solba sighed, and retaliated with a Shadow Claw.

Grimwald skittered away, but his intentions were clear. He charged up a Thunderbolt, and let loose, managing to deal some sort of damage. I felt a surge of pride for him, but it was quickly cut down by Solba's next move; a powerful Blizzard that left him frozen.

I frowned. "Okay! Grimwald! Use Crunch to gnaw your way out of the ice!" With two chomps from his powerful fangs, Grimwald had broken free, and fired off a Discharge; Absol retaliated with a powerful Flamethrower.

The two attacks met, and they exploded on contact, sending both Pokemon skidding. Opal frowned as he assessed the damage. "Solba, return." I was dumbfounded; Grimwald had barely any strength left.

Then I figured that he wasn't looking to win; he was looking more to test my skill, and how I handled myself in battle. I frowned, and recalled Grimwald. He selected his next Pokeball carefully, calling, "Myrtle!" A lithe and well-kept Altaria flew out, cooing something in her species' lovely trilling cry. I stopped and watched her soar for a bit, gazing at her soft, fluffy wings.

I debated Leviathan against Grimwald; Lev won out, because Ice Beam had quadruple-weakness to Dragon/Flying. I called out the Totodile, who was sniffling. I was slightly confused as to why he was crying, and asked him. His huge coffee-colored eyes widened a bit more, and filled with tears.

"_I... I was tuh-tr-tryin', to, uh, make a sn-sno-cone... and my mouth got all freezy and cold." _The fact that he looked so pathetic and forlorn was the only thing keeping me from laughing right there. I managed to compose my tone and choke out,

"D-don't... uh, don't use Ice Beam with your mouth shut, Lev." I managed to wheeze, biting the inside of my cheek and inhaling deeply. Lev nodded, and dried his tears, standing ready for battle.

"Use... ah, heh, uh, Ice Beam!" I cracked up, grasping my sides and giggling uncontrollably. Lev, perfectly oblivious, fired off an Ice Beam.

"Myrtle! Use Dragon Dance, then Wing Attack!" Myrtle did a weird, twirly sort of dance, and then flew at Lev at a breakneck pace, striking him with both wings. While she was so close, I ordered another Ice Beam, which sent Myrtle sprawling.

"Use Hydro Pump, and then Ice Beam!" While her cloudy wings were soaked with water, the Ice Beam froze them, rendering flight impossible. Opal nodded, and called, "Return!"

His last Pokemon was obviously Amai. The Espeon sat on the battlefield, anxious for a fight. I sighed.

Though Useless had won that Gym challenge, well, this was an obviously high-level Espeon. And to top it off, Jack had been thinking about evolution, so if he lost, this would be another excuse for him to evolve, and I...

Well, he didn't need to evolve just yet.

I sighed, and called, "Shadow Ball!" Jack mustered up a giant purple blob, and shot it at Amai.

"Psychic." With a flick of her tail, Amai had imploded the Shadow Ball in on itself. I felt a twinge of frustration, and thought, "_Crap. Not the Madness, not the Madness..." _

It might seem like I'm just a spoiled brat, throwing temper tantrums when I don't get my way.

Not true.

These fits scare me shitless. I have no idea how long they'll last, or how much damage I can cause, or who I might harm. And it doesn't take a lot to set me off; just existing in daily life is a cause for anger.

I'm not a spoiled child, by any means; my mom was useless and my dad was dead. (Until recently.) I don't do this for attention; I do it because I can't stop it.

And oh god, how I wish I could.

My temper was steadily building; as Jack was getting beaten by Amai, I was merely registering it as something to be angry about.

Jack, well, I didn't... okay, so it wasn't his fault. I mean, he was just as much a rookie as I was. But goddamnit, we had the fate of Kanto and possibly everywhere else in this world on our backs, and there was no time for...

"STUPID FUCKING USELESS EEVEE!"

...For that.

Oh shit, it's happening again.

"JACK, YOU'RE FUCKING PATHETIC! NO ONE ELSE CAME THIS CLOSE TO FAINTING BUT YOU!" And there we go, rehashing my earlier complaints.

"YOU'RE WEAK! I DON'T NEED YOU! I NEVER WANTED YOU!" I think it's just yelling, but wait, oh, no—

I've kicked him. This isn't like at the Lab, this time, I think I actually hurt him. Everyone's staring at me in horror. I don't register it as anything more than a feeling, but I know it's there.

I wait an instant, and as quick as it came, my anger is gone. "Shit." I squeak, and my voice sounds so small and thin. "Shit, Jack, I'm so sorry."

And with that, I turn and flee, running as fast as my legs will carry me.

Jack rose from his heap, and sat down again quickly. "_Livvy?" _He cried softly. Opal was stunned.

"But, but..." Anna sighed.

"She has Johto Madness. It's pretty bad, as you can see." Opal nodded, still a bit stunned by a sheer burst of temper.

"_LIVVY!" _Jack screams, and as he runs off, Opal caught sight of the crystal Pokeball bouncing around on his neck. His eyes widen slowly, and he mouths, "_What?" _Shaking his head, he saves this bit of information for later.

Amai catches up with Jack, and cuts him off. "_Jack, listen to me! She's just angry right now! Going after her won't solve a thing!" _Jack stops in his tracks. Bowing his head, and scuffing a paw on the dirt floor, he stays quiet for a second, as Amai continues.

"_...Why do you stay?" _She asks abruptly. Jack continues his silence for a bit. Then, quietly, almost ashamedly, he says,

"_Because I love her." _

* * *

I kept running, just going far away. I think I'm past Cerulean by this point; I can see the Power Point in the distance, which I figure means I'm by Rock Tunnel. I regain my senses for a minute, and then sigh.

Wow, didn't I just fuck up this time? Sitting down, I begin to trace my finger around and around in the sand. This just wasn't good. I hoped the others could find me here; I had no clue as to where we had been before.

So I just decided to sit and wait, because, well, what else was there to do? I was tired, and just the tiniest bit hungry. Better to sleep it off.

Curling up behind the patch of wild grass near the river, I fell into a fitful sleep, plagued by nightmares of a pair of eyes as green as limes, and a crystal Pokeball.

* * *

Amai seemed rather taken aback by this. Reasserting herself as the sexy psuedo-therapist, she purred, "_Well... most Pokemon do love their trainers, correct? At any rate, it doesn't matter. She doesn't deserve you, you know. If she hits you, well, she obviously doesn't love you very much." _Jack frowned, and stood up straight. With determination blazing in his eyes, and a fire alight in his heart, the young Eevee said,

"_I don't care! I might not be the best, or the strongest, and maybe I don't mean anything to her! But I'll make myself mean something! I don't love her like a servant! I love her as an equal, a friend, and... and... Yes, I love her like a human would! So maybe it's a long shot, but I have to try! For LIVVY!" _He cried, placing his paws squarely in the dirt.

Amai sighed, and kneaded her paws. She purred deep in her throat, and stroked his cheek. "_It'll never turn out right. Once, in a far-distant time, you could've been happy." _Her eyes hardened. "_But that time is gone. Even if she loves you, it'll never be." _Jack shook his head.

"_How do YOU know, Amai?!" _He retorted, fur standing on its edge. Amai sighed, and beckoned to him to follow her back to the group. She was silent for a minute, then said quietly, "_Because I evolved for him. And still, he did not love me." _Jack's eyes widened with realization.

"_You love Opal. Is that why you became an Espeon?" _Amai nodded, not meeting his gaze. With a heavy voice thick with misery, she began to explain.

"_You are so young. You weren't here... before the war came." _She stopped at the edge of the precipice overlooking the others, who were searching for them all. "_Before then, he gave me roses. Everyone had roses, and there was peace. Pokemon and humans were free to love, and wed, and have children." _Her eyes hardened.

"_Then the war came, and there were no roses for anybody ever again. They beat down doors, killed husbands and wives, took children away." _Her eyes were wide with remembering, and her jewel glowed black.

"_They performed experiments on the children; they ripped their perfect little Eevee ears off, tried to fuse them on children of Luxrays. They were so often left to die that people complained of the smell when the corpses were _gone. _The parents were tortured, forced to watch as their lovers died, and they... they were left alive. The humans were 'reeducated', and given suitable husbands or wives. They usually killed themselves after about a month or two. The roses were burnt for warmth in the cold." _Jack blinked.

"_Is that what happened to you, Amai?" _Amai shook her head. "_No. This war was before Opal's time, but not my own. He is so young... he never saw it. What they did to his mother, and he doesn't even know." _Jack's eyes grew wide.

"_They killed her?" _Amai frowned.

"_They may as well have. She was one of the scientists that was in charge of the children born of the half-Pokemon union. She was the top advisor to it all. She was able to create the only perfect graft of human and Pokemon using some DNA from a Pokemon she caught. _

"_That Pokemon was Mew." _Jack's eyes widened. Opal's mom had been the woman who caught Mew!? No way! Amai continued, ignoring his shock, too immersed in her story to care.

"_I was her Pokemon; her precious pet, a soft, small, and altogether unassuming Eevee. I was in the room when Opal came in. His hair was stuck up at many different angles, and his eyes were full of sleep. He came over to the girl she was performing an experiment on; her mother had been a Milotic, her father, a human. Her gills were slowly being sliced open, as his mother probed the insides." _Jack's eyes widened in horror.

"_He came up to the girl, and put a hand on her gills while her mouth open in a silent scream for air. He looked at her, and said softly, "_Are you making me a sister, mommy?"

"_She looked at him, and her eyes widened. He observed the carnage quietly, assuming they were all to be his new brothers and sisters. She scooped him and I both up, and fled the lab." _Amai fell silent. Jack was still trying to comprehend the entire thing, when she interrupted his thoughts.

"_We survived for five days on the run, alone and hungry. Then they hunted us down. They killed Celeste, and took Opal and I away, to a rich family called the Fletchers." _Jack was still trying to get a grasp on things when an idea came to him.

"_But Morgan's only been around for about thirteen years... so, who was doing it?" _Amai spoke the words with a chilling finality.

"_The Resistance Order."_


	13. Of who you love

(I'm sorry, updates have been slow. This is filler I must slog through; only one more chapter left of it, tops. I am so sorry. The Resistance Order's backstory isn't coming out all at once. After all, where's the fun in that? For now, I leave you with a small teaser of what might be.

Bweh heh heh. Oh, I love myself for what I did to Roger. I hope this is a better chapter than the last one, and I promise soon they'll improve. Please be patient.

Two more quick notes; one, you may want to put this on alert, because by another two chapters or so, it's going up to M rating, for drugs and smut and stuff. Meaning no front page alerts for me. So yeah, just a warning. Two, everything is going to be explained further, even the Exempt thing.

I don't own anything, okay?)

* * *

Oh, this is awkward. The clothes feel nice, though; they don't constrict as much as my old pants do. I beckon to my Pokemon, and kneel down to Rukario and Becka's level. "Listen to me," I whisper urgently, "I need to be inconspicuous for a while. Please don't come out of your Pokeballs; I know it's hard, but I can't raise suspicion." They don't look thrilled, but they nod. I sigh, and recall the two of them.

I hastily unclip my other Pokeball, and whisper softly, "Lissery, come on out." A sweet little Vulpix phases out, and nuzzles me. I traded Karash for her, and Ripper, I gave to a passing scientist doing field work.

I adjust my hair extensions, and sigh, adjusting my skirt and wedge heels, before saying softly, "Let's go."

* * *

Jack's mouth was agape, staring at Amai in utter amazement. "_But... they're the good guys! Livvy, Silver, Anna, and Gold fight for them! And Red's a good man!" _Amai sighed.

"_Let me explain. Once upon a time, the Resistance Order was led by a man known as Steven Kent. His comrade and partner-in-arms was Giovanni. Before he broke away and formed Team Rocket, they were inseparable; they actually worked against Bruce. They led a small band of rebels in through the Pokemon Leagues, but when they failed..." _Amai sighed.

"_I don't actually know much about this part; it's kept very hush-hush. I think the story goes is that Morgan's other aide, a woman named Bethany Moore perished in the riot, and he gave up on fighting, but... I don't know. What I do know, however, is that after Morgan quit and Bethany died, Morgan took over Kanto, and the Resistance Order sort-of reformed itself to fight against one of the men that founded it." _Amai chuckled softly.

"_Ironic, no_?" Jack sighed.

This was really strange, to be honest. He didn't know if he could really trust them anymore, but... the people he'd met were nice, and he trusted Livvy implicitly. So he'd just have to see.

Gold crashed through the bushes, and looked at the two of them. Shaking his head, he called, "They're here!" Silver and Opal traipsed after them, and Opal frowned.

"Fantastic. Now we just need to find Anna." Amai looked at him oddly. "_She's gone?" _Opal nodded. "She went off with Akira... we don't know where she is. I saw her go with him down by Rock Tunnel..."

Jack looked up. "_Rock Tunnel! That's where Livvy went too!" _And with that, he rushed off to find his trainer. Opal sighed, and beckoned. "We should go too." The others nodded, and followed him.

* * *

"_You could've been hurt." _Akira said in an accusatory tone. Anna frowned at him, and kept moving ahead. "You worry too much. I was fine, Akira. I needed some alone time, that's all." Akira grunted in annoyance, and shifted his weight to leap in front of Anna.

"_You haven't told them you've got..." _Akira trailed off, not wanting to admit that the woman he loved was dying. Anna's eyes hardened, and her temper flared.

Goddamnit, she was dying, but she wasn't a debilitating nimwit! She would and could take care of herself! Why ruin her last year on earth?! She turned to him, and began roaring.

"Look, Akira, I HAVE CANCER! Do you hear me?! CANCER! I AM DYING! I want to enjoy myself before I die! You can't control every one of my movements!" She screamed at him. "You're not my father! You don't own me, you don't know me, and how do I even know you _love me?!" _She stared at him, breathing heavily, tears in her eyes.

Akira was silent. He slouched to the ground, and then he shook his head. "_You... you don't. You just have faith_. I_ just have faith. Please, Anna, don't be like this..." _Tears welled in the Gallade's eyes. "_I love you, I do. I know you're hurting. But I only want what's best for you. I need you with me... Anna?" _He stood up. "_Anna?" _

His girl had disappeared into Rock Tunnel. Without hesitation, Akira ran right into the belly of the beast, valiantly following Anna into hell.

And so it goes.

* * *

I looked around hesitantly, trying to piece together what I'd just heard. Anna? With cancer? It couldn't be... could it? I mean, of all things... though it'd explain the bald head. And Akira... how could she yell at Akira like that?

And, I realized, I'd done the same thing to Jack. Was that really how I sounded? So angry and harsh?

I slid down back into the grass, and closed my eyes. It was a minute before I felt a light weight pressing into my lap. I opened my eyes slowly, and there he was. Jack, in his silvery glory, was sitting on my lap, grinning his foxy grin. I wanted to cry. I picked him up, and he whispered in my ear, "_Livvy. It's okay. I forgive you." _I shook my head.

"I haven't earned it. Jack, look at me." He gazed into my eyes, and I felt this odd warm sensation, almost like there were bees buzzing around inside me, and _they were on fire. _His eyes were such a beautiful shade of silver, a shade lighter than his fur. Looking at him quickly, you'd say he lacked an iris, but if you got close, you'd see better...

His eyes were beautiful. I shook my head, and rubbed behind his ears affectionately, pulling my knees up to my chin. "Jack, we need to work together. We have to try to win—together. I want to learn to work with you. We'll do it together. Can we? Should we even try?" I wasn't sure how I could ever do what I was saying. I mean, it was so trying to work with him, but...

He nodded, and pressed a paw on my heart. "_I do it for Livvy." _He said softly.

And then I knew it was worth trying.

I buried my face in his ruff, and picked up on the memories of his conversation with Amai. I almost pulled back in shock, but what I now knew about Opal, Amai, and Jack altogether would certainly be best kept secret. Saving it for another day, I said,

"Anna and Akira went into Rock Tunnel. We're going in after them."

* * *

Gold and Silver finally got their wits together, and called Red. "_Why is a raven like—" _Silver grabbed the phone. "_Shut the fuck up, and I swear to god, quit asking that riddle! NONE OF US KNOW THE FUCKING ANSWER_!" He screamed into the receiver, face turning redder than his hair. Gold snickered quietly, while Red huffed angrily.

"_Fine. No need to be so rude, grumpy emo boy. Anyways, what's up?" _Gold grabbed the phone. "_Forest and Livid have gone missing. We're searching by Rock Tunnel, and we wanted to know if Sapphire or Ruby were in the area." _There was silence on the other line for a moment.

"_If they're really in Rock Tunnel, go after them. Truth be told, we're planning a rendezvous in Celadon, so you're going in the right direction. And if all else fails, just find those two. Now._" There was a click on the other line, and Gold made a face.

"He always does that. Eh, well, Opal? You coming?" Opal nodded slowly, Amai at his side. And so we started off into Rock Tunnel, everyone going in at different times, and hopefully, all coming out the same.

* * *

I shivered. "Brrr. It's really cold. Santi, come out and warm us up! Grimwald, come out and give us some light too! Lev... uh, come out for comic relief!"

"_You're nuts." _Santi grunted, whisking his tail around to spread the light. I found a stick, and lit it on his tail, so now I had a makeshift torch as well. I grinned as Grimwald wrapped his tail around my neck. Lev had frozen his hand in an Ice Beam, and was sucking on it like a lolly. I sighed, and went forward.

Christ, it was dreadful in here. By the faint light, I instructed Lev to hold the torch, and I opened my guidebook.

"Oh, Celadon's famous for its' clubs, eh? Well, that's nice." Someone said from over my shoulder. I jumped, and screamed loudly, surprised by the intrusion. I turned around, Grimwald's cheeks flashing—

And there was a girl about my age standing there, in a slim pink skirt with a red vine knotting its' way up the side, and a plain white top, revealing a rather flat chest. I was a bit curious, but let it be. Her hair was a light cornsilk blond, and she grinned self-consciously at me.

"Hi... sorry, did I scare you? My name's... Roxie Hayll. It's nice to meet you, miss...?" I acknowledged the shock with a wave of my hand, and said, "Olivia Kent. Pleasure to meet you, Roxie." I saw her eyes widen instantaneously with shock, but it was gone as quickly as it had come.

"Did you see a girl with a very short fuzz of green on her head and a shiny Gallade pass here at any time?" I asked her, quickly trying to inquire of Anna's whereabouts. She nodded.

"Said she was going to Celadon. I saw her about twenty minutes ago, so she could be about halfway there by now. Would you like it if I guided you through here? I know my way around." I nodded gratefully, and she gestured to her feet.

"This is Lissery, or Liss for short. She's my only Pokemon so far." I nodded at the sleek Vulpix, and started off. Roxie kept up on my heels, and said, "So, you're a trainer, right? It's weird; you share the same surname as our champion, and his son..." I nodded.

"Roger? Yeah, I know him." I didn't tell Roxie he was my half-brother, but I noticed a spark in her eyes. I winced. Roger's start as a trainer had been rather high-profile. The slavering supporters of my dad called it 'a step forward for a new breed of trainer, one completely for Kanto and country.' Bleh and _puke_.

"Oh, my god! Really! I think he's _soooo_ cute, don't you?!" I blinked. Well, he was cute. I mean, not like _that, _but I could see girls swooning over him. I nodded.

"He's really nice-looking, I guess. I know him okay enough. I met him in Vermilion, on the S.S. Anne." Roxie grinned.

"Oooh, wow! I wish I'd been there... lucky." She clucked her tongue, and pointed forward. "Look, there's one of the catacombs. Let's go, it's the one that leads to Celadon." I nodded, and said,

"I thought it opened out into Lavender?" Roxie nodded. "It does well enough, but Morgan sent a construction crew in to drill a hole into the mountain, so trainers could get right to Celadon. It's where I was coming from to go to Cerulean. I wanted a Clefairy from Mt. Moon." I nodded, and sighed. Well, I'd wanted to go to Lavender, but I guess it would wait until after I got my fourth badge.

The tunnel was dark, even with Santi and Grimwald, and Lev, the torch-bearer. And he took his duties quite seriously, solemnly carrying the lit wooden stick, marching ahead of all of us. I continued on with Roxie in silence for a bit, before she ventured, "How come you have a Charmeleon? I thought they were illegal?" I shrugged.

Funnily enough, I hadn't been caught for it. Was there a specific reason...?

There was, in fact, but I didn't know it.

* * *

Morgan grumbled. His son Roger had skipped out on the rest of the S.S. Anne cruise, fine, but now he was unaccounted for. No one had seen him yet, and Morgan actually was worried by now. But he had other matters to attend to.

"Tristan! Are you paying attention!?" Morgan yelled. His Ivysaur snickered, and whacked him over the head with a Vine Whip, jolting the raven-haired man back to reality. He saluted Morgan, trying to compose himself.

"Right! Sorry, sir. Checking Houndoom and Weavile's progress in the training rooms. What is it?" The Elite Four member asked. Morgan frowned.

"Pull up the file on Trainer Olivia Kent. And then give her Exempt status." Everyone gasped.

Only two trainers had_ ever_, in the past _twenty-five years,_ been given an exempt status; Bethany Moore, and Celeste Trent. Now this girl?

"Sir?" One of the other Elite Four said quietly, a man named Derek Rivers, who right now had an accusatory look in his eyes. "Why her?" Morgan smirked.

"Simple; I want her to challenge me. I see a lot of potential to harm us all in here, and it's better if she makes it through the League, then you all, and then faces me." The third Elite Four member, Collins Furse exclaimed,

"Madness! You want her to beat you?" Morgan frowned.

"Do you honestly think she's going to have a chance? I saw her perform in Vermilion, and while it was good, it was in no way up to snuff. I am eliminating her as a problem; when she inevitably loses, I will be able to kill her, and remove all doubt from that pathetic Resistance Order who obviously supplied her with the Charmander she had when I encountered her." He turned to Tristan.

"Secure the file." He nodded, and typed in a few lines of code. Her picture flashed once, and, "EXEMPT" became stamped across her file. Morgan grinned at the expressions on their faces.

"_Impress me, Olivia. Show daddy what you can do, princess." _He thought, turning back to the screen.

"Oh, that homosexual in Cell 5? Execute her." He said. The four Elite Four, who had been silent through the entire proceedings, said, "Me, sir?" Morgan shook his head.

"No, not you, Jeremy." The man known as Jeremy Slate faltered. "But..." Morgan turned to Tristan.

"You do it, and now, Tristan." Tristan gulped. "...Yes sir." He stood up, beckoned to Ivysaur, and got up.

With that, he turned away and shut the door with a final _click.  
_


	14. I hurt myself today

(More Tristan development! I promise more of that next chapter. Anyways, updates will come faster, but M rating is going up probably next chapter or the one after that. So, just a warning. Okay, I don't own. Sorry if this isn't my best at parts; I had to switch POV's a lot, and the ending was a bitch to write. Anyways, I don't own.)

* * *

Tristan went back to his room with blood on his hands.

Houndoom, Weavile, and Ivysaur had all come out to support him; Ivysaur had already gone ahead to turn the shower on in his small section of the New Order Headquarters, and Houndoom pressed his flank against Tristan's leg. Weavile chattered away in his own language, but Tristan was silent.

The woman had had a daughter. Artificial insemination, before it was illegal. They'd brought her in to watch the execution, and watched as her mother's /What had the judge called it? A cunt, yes, that was the term, vile, disgusting term for something deemed vile and disgusting?, was ripped apart, and he did it. He'd brought the knife down, and ripped her open, and she was made even less than a woman, watched the blood spurt down her legs, and still—

The mother reached out to her child. "Don't hurt her." Her last words before slouching down dead, blood still pooling out underneath her. Both judge and Tristan waited for the girl's reaction. She stared at them all, and with a cold fury in her voice, she said,

"She died as she lived. She died for love." Her tone dropped an octave. "She died for love." The girl repeated her words, sounding them off the stone walls. "Her conviction killed her. So _fuck_ fear." As Tristan did what he was told, and leveled the gun on her, she said,

"I have nothing _to_ fear."

_Bang._

Do you know the walls talk? Do you want to listen? Listen, and you can hear all the noise, noise, noise...

He shivered, even though by this point he was in the shower, under the warm wet water, and _it was so much like blood _/the water was turning red, almost pink, but not pink, that was too _queer/_, and he heard screaming. It was a tortured, keening, pleading scream and it took a few minutes for him to realize he was the one screaming.

He rushed out of the shower, dripping wet, and stared in the mirror. He could still hear the noise, and he could still feel the blood.

The noise was too much. And it was times like this when he wondered why he didn't just buy earplugs.

* * *

I blinked at the bits of light leaking through the tunnel. "Roxie, are we there yet?" I cried, trying frantically to get through to find Anna. She nodded.

"Another ten minutes, and we'll be right in Celadon. The tunnel opens up near the Pokemon Mansion—that's where all the parties are." She looked at me, and her gaze sent me into shivers. Her eyes were exactly the same color as mine, as—

Roger's. But it couldn't be.

"Would you like to go with me? It'd be nice to go with someone to a party. C'mon, it'll be fun." She offered, giving me a hand over a cropping of rocks. I blinked. Grimwald nodded at me, and I sighed. Well, it's not like I just had to march in and grab the badge, right?

"Yes, I'll go with you." She clapped her hands. "Fantastic!" We walked on in silence for a bit longer, with the whisper of Zubat wings our only reprieve from the silence. Goddamnit, it was too quiet.

I kept going forward, and finally, I saw the end of the tunnel. I sighed. "Thank god. Let's go, Roxie." She followed me obediently, and for just a second, I thought I saw her hair ride up and a bit of dark brown show underneath.

She didn't notice, and kept on going, until we reached the mouth of the cave. Celadon City loomed before us, a bustling place filled with many different people. I scanned the crowd, but no sign of Anna or Akira; and Silver, Gold, and Opal were gone too, come to think of it... frick! Where was everyone, anyways?

Roxie beckoned me forward, and so I followed, concerned, but sure they would be alright.

* * *

"Dammit! That's the fifth fucking Geodude I've tripped over! This is annoying as hell!" Gold whined, reverting to spoiled brat mode. Silver sighed, and tried not to slap his boyfriend. Tempting though it was, it wouldn't solve anything right now.

Opal had gone ahead, Amai still at his side, trying to psychically sense the exit. Obviously, their luck was zilch. Silver sighed, and kept moving forward. Explotaro lit the way, but in the eerie light, it was both hard to see_ and_ creepy.

Silver sighed. Olivia was probably either lost forever, or in Celadon. He prayed for the latter, since the former would require him to stay in this damned cave longer than necessary. And come to think of it, Anna better not be irretrievably lost, too.

As Opal checked the map, he let out a sigh of relief. "According to the map, we're almost in Celadon. We'll be there by nightfall." Silver groaned in happiness, and felt the familiar heavy weight of Gold slouch against his shoulders. "Piggyback." He grunted, latching his legs around Silver, who stumbled from the weight.

"You're an ass, you know that?" He complained, but Gold merely smiled. "You like it." He snickered, leaning his head down on Silver's shoulder. Opal merely watched with amusement, and even as Silver fumed, he had to admit, yes, he liked it when Gold was a brat; it made him remember why he loved the hothead so much.

* * *

Anna leaned forward, and stumbled into Celadon. She immediately fumbled for a bottle of water, and slugged it down quickly, looking around. Hell, she shouldn't have run off. Or yelled at Akira, to be honest. She'd make it up to him, she swore. Guilty as she felt, she couldn't help but enjoy Celadon.

The high-rise buildings loomed over the small-by-comparison Game Corner, which now had a New Order League Seal of Family Friendly Approval sticker on all their windows. Anna rolled her eyes. Last time she came, Celadon was far from family-friendly.

In fact, she saw a drug dealer peddling ground Stantler horns already. She sighed. Another wonderful thing from Johto, aside from her maniacal friend Livid. The Stantler's ability to produce hallucinations and contentment came from their antlers, so people sawed them off and ground them to be snorted like cocaine; it was the equivalent of taking LSD and Ecstasy at the same time, which made it incredibly popular. _  
_

Anna went back to searching for Akira, and found nothing. She swore. Fucking hell, there was absolutely no way this was happening. The sun was going down, and she was alone. And being female and alone during the nights of Celadon was basically like signing up for assisted suicide.

"_Doll!" _Her ears pricked up. "Akira?" She whispered, barely there right now. He was okay. He was okay. She turned around, and right near the Celadon Mansion, there he was.

"_Anna!" _He screamed, and even though there were people, she didn't care, she rushed towards him anyways. She almost bowled him over. "Never, never_, never! _I'm so sorry, I'm sorry!"She cried, guilt crashing over her, and before she even realized it, she was crying. Akira shook his head.

"_Please don't cry. We were all on edge. I'm sorry too." _She nodded. Hugging him tightly, she asked, "Did you see the others?" He shook his head.

"_No, but I heard Olivia come in after us. So she should be in Celadon somewhere." _Anna nodded, and went to go look for her before Olivia got in any more trouble.

* * *

There wasn't much point; I was already pretty much deep in this shit, so it was a nice gesture, but useless.

Roxie had insisted on taking me shopping; she said that my casual plain black skirt and pink shirt were too boring for a party, and better yet, she was paying for the entire damned thing. Her dad was rich, she said, a banker who lived in Fuchsia.

"Ooh! I like this top, don't you?" She said, holding up a silky magenta top with gold lame trimming. I shrugged, and she took that as a yes, putting it in her basket. I had found a white blouse with a black sash running across it in a zigzag fashion, and with sheer puffed up sleeves. I liked it, but not for a party... oh who cares, get it anyway and stick it in your bag, Roxie's paying.

With her help, I selected a risqué sheer top, with the slim band of purple barely enough to cover my chest. Roxie had giggled while buying it, and after seeing myself in the mirror, I had to agree; I looked like a burlesque girl. So why not be?

With this in mind, I grabbed another skirt, this one a shiningly inky black with the hemline coming to a V, barely enough to cover my navel. The sides were slit so close to my underwear that Roxie cackled, crying, "Heh heh, pink underwear!" Blushing, I agreed that it would be a good idea to buy a thong.

Next came makeup. Roxie seemed to know what she was doing, and selected a bunch of tubes and sticks before ringing it all up. I went to protest, but she turned to me.

"So, to the Pokemon Center. Makeup time!" I winced. This didn't sound good.

When we got there, Roxie disappeared to change, something about being shy around people naked, which struck me as odd somewhat, since she'd walked around with her top off when we were shopping, but...

She came back out again with the magenta-and-gold top on, and a dark burnt gold skirt to complement. She turned to me, and dragged me into the small room, and as I undressed, she babbled on about the important people going to the party. I sighed, and slid on the top quickly, and Roxie went over to adjust it.

I felt a weird warm sensation, and realized I was blushing. I tried to choke out that this was a bit awkward, but I couldn't. With a silent okay, Roxie began taking my skirt off, and I began trying to find my voice a bit more frantically.

She saw my expression, and snickered. "Hold still, I'm trying to help." And with that, she yanked my underwear down as well, and tossed it aside.

I must've been a rich shade of red by this point, but she didn't notice, throwing me the lacy thong, and nodding at me to put it on. After I did so, she tossed me the skirt, and I yanked it on quickly, trying not to act horrified at what had just happened. It was too strange for me to say anything, but...

Shaking my head, I shrugged mentally, and headed out with her as the sound of our high heels clicking in unison reverberated in the hallway.

The night had come to Celadon. And it showed.

The alleys were filled with people, the streets flowed with alcohol, and drugs were on every street corner.

Roxie walked right past all this. But I, slightly twitchy, called out Grimwald. "_Liv? Liv, what the hell are we doing in here?! ARE YOU CRAZY?!" _He hissed in my ear. I shook my head.

"I don't know. I have to trust Roxie." Grimwald rolled his eyes.

"_Sure, let's trust some girl we just met who you think could possibly be your brother in drag, okay, right, how much for a mahogany coffin?" _He muttered. I sighed.

"Well, if it is my brother, nothing to worry about." Grimwald gawked at me. "_...I won't answer that, but holy hell you are _stupid _sometimes, you know that?" _He sighed, and climbed up on my shoulder again.

Roxie beckoned to us, and pointed to a tall black building. "The Celadon Mansion. Well, shall we go?" She grinned.

"Pokemon out, of course." I nodded, and called out Leviathan, Jack, and Santi. Grimwald flicked his tail. Roxie called out Lissery, who cooed softly. Jack looked up at me questioningly, and I nodded. "It's alright, Jack. We're just going to have fun tonight."

We stepped in, and promptly got blasted back by the wave of sound. Some heavy thumping song declared "_I wanna fuck you like an animal_," and I almost smiled. I'd never heard the band before, but I liked it already.

There was a giant dancefloor, and I strode out there confidently. The alcohol was spilled out over the floor, and I almost slipped, but Roxie grabbed my hand and pulled me close. I nodded, and she ground her hips against mine, indicating I should respond. I whispered, shocked, "Uh, I don't know how to dance." She grinned.

"I'll teach you."

And with that, she yanked me tight to her, and ground her hips against me relentlessly, and this time, I responded, twirling her around and holding my hands tight to her waist.

She stopped for a second, and picked up two glasses from another table. "Drink this, Olivia." I nodded, and swilled it down, as did she.

An immediate warmth spread through me. I purred, and Roxie grinned. "_Utterly_ sexy. Do it again." I grinned weakly, and leaned against her. "Mrrr..." I purred softly, giggling happily. She grinned.

"C'mon, Livvy, let's go." She took me by the hand, and began spinning me around. "Just like a record, baby..." I grinned, and took her hand, doing it in reverse.

Step.

Heel.

Step.

Twirl.

Spin.

Haze. The warm haze was nice... like dying without any pain.

"Trust me."

I mumbled something, and shook my head.

Trust.

Sure.

Up. Down. I go _up, _the floor goes _down _and I feel like putting it in reverse this time.

Stand.

Fall.

Spread.

Remember.

What was it...? Happiness is a bit of cream between your legs...? No, that doesn't sound right... walk softly and marry a big prick... No, I don't think that's it either...

Oh my god, I am _so _high right now.

Trust me.

...Okay.

Wig falls off. Hi, Roger. Where'd Roxie go?

Silence.

Wet and warm. Feels nice. Probing, questioning, and hard. I nod.

Trust me.

I drift away.


	15. To see if I still feel

(Okay, now that my internet is back and /mostly/ stable /knock on wood, I can update faster; I'm working on this less, because I have a few other fics in mind, and this chapter was incredibly hard to write a beginning to, which is why I just fucked it and wrote in third person.

Okay, this now has an M rating, so I...wow, I feel SPECIAL! WOOHOO! And you know what this means... SMUUUUUUUUUT!! /fangirl squeal/

Uh, I don't own...)

* * *

I wake up, and come down off my cloud like a good little angel. It feels nice in my body. Who's in my body? Roxie. Hi, Roxie. Where's Roger...I thought he was there and now he's not, but I like you better.

"Go faster," I mutter, liking the feeling. It was so nice and warm. I could see the stars outside, twinkling at me. I closed my eyes, and became a star for a moment, blinking in the night sky, blinking coldly down at the people scurrying below me, and

_/fuck/_

This felt wonderful,

/_fuck/_

I think that's my brother, and I don't care,

_/fuck/_

Me.

I'm screaming something unintelligible, and there's this weird white stuff all over me now, and it feels kind of weird and wet, so I close my eyes and lean my head back.

Roxie is biting my neck, which feels... nice, so I hiss. My whole body is thrumming like a plucked guitar string, and I like the feeling.

Vaguely, I wonder if this is what it'd feel like if Jack and I tried this stuff. Somehow... I think it'd be better...

I shook my head, and tried to shake off the effects of whatever we'd had as the party raged outside. I blinked, and saw stars as I sat up. "Roxie?" I whisper softly.

"Can we do it again?"

* * *

/_Roger's POV/_

Oh my god, I hate myself so much for loving this. My sister is staring at me, legs lazily spread out, and hair fanned out behind her, and she wants me to fuck her.

And I want it just as much as she does. I hate this, _hate it! _But my body doesn't get the message, and is still aroused, answering her question.

And you know what the worst part is?

She's too damn high to know that I'm actually a dude. Erection notwithstanding.

...You know, just... _Really, _Liv!?

I drop to my knees again, and lean on top of her, beginning to thrust in, slowly at first, but when she hisses at me, "Faster!" I speed up, thrusting in relentlessly. Liv is moaning under me, and it's not helping and holy-shit-I'm-about-to-orgasm-jesus-christ-I-love-you-liv.

...Fuck.

* * *

_/Olivia's POV/_

Roxie is standing up again, and whispering in my ear. "I have to go, sweetie." She purrs. "I'll see you soon." I nod.

"...Kay...I love...you..." I mutter, wanting just to go back to sleep and have everyone leave me alone.

I see some pretty white powder on the floor, and I roll over and lap at it lazily.

As Roxie leaves, the room turns red. Every time I move my head, the colors change, and I feel so nice up on my little colored cloud. I just want to lay here and look at the pretty colors.

I close my eyes, and I can still see the colors.

Jack...Where the hell is Jack...

* * *

Tristan Rainier was at the same club that night, incidentally. To escape the solitude of the headquarters, he'd asked Morgan's Alakazam to Teleport him here.

And as of right now, he was currently breaking about fifty-five New Order League rules.

"F-fuck!" He gasped, hips bucking upward, and as he rode out his orgasm, he felt the man plant a kiss on his lips, and slip a bit of wine in his slack mouth before leaving.

His whole body was thrumming and Christ almighty, it felt wonderful. Who knew men were that amazing...

Goddamnit, he was beginning to think he was gay. Having oral sex with men was a pretty sure sign of that, huh?

He curled up in a ball, and began laughing quietly. He couldn't stop himself from shaking; thankfully, he was sober enough to tell that no one cared, that everyone was just dancing along to the music.

Once he'd stopped laughing, he uncurled himself and began to stagger upstairs.

There was a little girl with brown hair up there; he recognized her face, even as sweat covered her body, and her pupils dilated.

"Olivia? Olivia Kent?" The girl raised her head up weakly, and nodded, flopping back down again.

"The colors are so pretty. Roxie gave me powder, and I tasted it, and now I can see all the colors—am I high right now?" She had a moment of sheer lucidity, and Tristan nodded.

She slumped back down. "Okay...who're you?" He knelt down.

"Tristan, Miss Kent. You okay? Morgan's been looking for you..." He stopped for a second. Olivia looked hurt, and it looked like she'd been raped. Poor girl... Tristan pushed her hair back.

"Daddy? Daddy's looking for me?" She whispered. Tristan stopped.

_Daddy. _

Oh dear god, why hadn't he seen it before?

Shit, that meant Morgan was going to get his own daughter killed!

"Yes, he is. Do you want me to take you to him?" Olivia nodded.

"You work for my daddy?" She asked. Tristan nodded. "Yeah, I do. Come on with me, now..." And with that, he picked her up and started off, Olivia slumped in her arms.

He didn't notice the Eevee as he walked past, but the Eevee saw him.

* * *

_/Jack's POV/_

THEY'RE TAKING LIVVY! Oh my gosh, I have to get Anna, an' Akira and Opal and Gold and Silver, and, and, and...

"_Santi! Grimwald! Lev! HE'S TAKIN' LIVVY!" _I roared. Everyone ran for me immediately, and as I relayed the message, Santi went to the window.

"_The headquarters to the New Order League...we have to get there! If we find Akira and Anna, Akira can teleport us all there! Come on, let's move!" _He yells. We all nod, and speed off, out of the club, and ready to find Livvy.

* * *

Tristan called Morgan, and said, "_Sir?" _Morgan growled on the other end, "_Tristan, this better be good. Do you KNOW what time it is?" _Tristan sighed.

"_Sir, I have your daughter. She's just been drugged and raped. I advise you get over here." _There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment.

And then an awful, strangled cry exploded out of the other side of the phone. Before Morgan hung up, Tristan heard him shriek for his Pidgeot.

He settled down with her in his arms, and looked down at her sleeping form. For a second, he loved the childish beauty and innocence still on her face, something that hadn't been ruined yet.

He pitied her, felt a great staggering sorrow for her. She didn't deserve to be the one fighting all this.

"She's just a damn kid." He spat, so angry, so furious, filled with righteous fury at the indignity and pointlessness of this entire fucking world. "She's a goddamn kid, and she's the best and brightest damn soldier in this goddamn war, and for fuck's sake, she's going to get fucking killed!" He set her down for a second, and shook his head.

"This is such a stupid fucking cause to die for. So utterly fucking stupid. This entire goddamn world is _rotten. _Look where all that fight got her. Shit, Morgan, you stupid ass; Giovanni was right. You abandoned your daughter, and look at her now."

He sighed, and waited with her on the curb, stroking her hair gently and waiting for Morgan to arrive. He looked down at Olivia, and murmured,

"...Kid...If you make it out of your daddy and Red's games alive, I swear to you I'll serve you. If you get to the Champion, I'll gladly be your advisor. Make it out of this game alive. Please." He looked down at his hands.

"There's enough blood on my hands as it is..." And for a second, he saw the blood,

/_pink fucking BLOOD/ _

And the screams,

/_earplugs/_

_/stop/_

Tristan sighed. For a second, he saw a black blur in the night, and the next second, Morgan was jumping down from his Pidgeot, fury blazing in his eyes.

"I'll fucking kill whoever did this to her." He spat. "I swear." Tristan looked at him.

"So. She's your daughter." Morgan's eyes widened.

"H-how did you know?" Tristan pointed to Olivia.

"She called you daddy."

For a second, Morgan's eyes softened. He picked up his daughter's limp body, and climbed on Pidgeot, nodding to Tristan. Tristan followed suit, and as Pidgeot flew off for the New Order League Headquarters, he could hear Morgan bitterly weeping as he held for dear life on to Olivia.

They burst into the door of the headquarters, and Jeremy's head shot up. "Sir! Sir, what is this—" Morgan shoved Olivia's body in his face.

"This is my fucking _daughter_, who's just been fucking raped and drugged. You've got a goddamn doctorate, now fucking _doctor her!" _Jeremy seemed taken aback by this outburst.

"Sir, sir, I have a degree in postmortem sciences, not medical studies, I—"

"DO IT, DAMN YOU!" Morgan roared. And for the look on Jeremy's face, Tristan would've giggled insanely, except Morgan might really have shot him. Jeremy managed to choke out,

"Collins...Collins knows what to do with stuff like this...I'll go get him." Jeremy hauled major ass, running right for Collin's section of the building.

Ivysaur trotted up to Tristan, and stared at him. "Saur?" He asked. Tristan sighed.

"Hey, Ivysaur. Go get the others." Olivia's eyes fluttered open, and Ivysaur stepped back for a moment.

"Daddy?" She called out pitifully. Morgan looked down at her, and Tristan saw a ferocious, feral love blazing in his eyes. He brushed hair back from her sweaty head.

"Daddy's here, princess. We're gonna make you better, okay?" She sighed.

"Jack...Daddy, where's Jack?" Morgan looked confused. Olivia shuddered. "My Eevee...please, where is he?" Tristan jumped in with a quick lie.

"Sweetie, he's waiting for you in daddy's room. Just let us fix you up, and you can see him." She nodded, and fell asleep.

Tristan looked at Morgan, and mouthed, "I'll take her." Morgan clutched her, and shook his head.

Collins came up to them, Derek and Jeremy at his heels. "Sir! Let me see her!" Morgan shook his head.

"I want to hold her." Collins frowned.

"Sir. If she took too much of the drug, she will die. Give her to me, _now, _Morgan!" He roared. Everyone else was shocked at Collins' outburst, but Morgan merely handed Olivia over, dumbfounded.

"Come on, I'll take her to the infirmary."

Ivysaur had apparently gotten all of everyone's Pokemon, because a giant cluster of them were flocking in the infirmary. Collins flicked his tongue out, running it along his lips.

"I need the bottle that says Chikorita Essence. It'll slow her brain functions down, relax and detoxify her body, and get rid of the hallucinations. From the sweet scent she has, I can tell this is ground Stantler horn, so a Pokemon-based cure would be most effective. Grab the bottle for me, Tristan; it's right next to you." Tristan snatched the bottle up, and Ivysaur uncorked it, seeing Tristan's trembling hands.

Morgan was openly weeping now, bawling silently, shoulders shaking.

In a wave of emotion that crashed over him, Tristan suddenly wanted to take Morgan and kiss his damn tears away, make him stop crying, and make him sigh against Tristan's lips, and—

Tristan was shaken out of his thoughts by Olivia, who had awoken again. "Daddy...daddy, please don't cry..." Collins, Derek, and Jeremy all stared incredulously, but Morgan just smiled.

"I'm fine, princess. Collins is going to give you some medicine, and you're going to feel better." She nodded, and turned her head.

"Gengar!" She cried. The ghost Pokemon, who had tears gathered at the corners of his eyes as well, waved. She smiled, and fell back asleep, as Collins slipped the Chikorita Essence in her mouth, and sat her up.

As she dozed, they turned to him. "Sir," Derek said quietly, "I think you owe us an explanation."


	16. I focus on the pain

(I can has quicker updates, yay! I'm working up to the ZOMG SUSPENSE AND DRAMA! And I swear you'll all hate me for the next few chapters, and I bet NO ONE knows where this is going. Not even you, Abyss. Seriously, you've got goddamn precognitive senses with my fics, but not even YOU know what's going to happen! HA!

I may be going a bit fast with Morgan/Tristan, but I am just setting the stage for ANGSTY FORBIDDEN LOVE THAT GETS WHOLE CHAPTERS TO ITSELF and of course, well...yes. /Grins./

Anyways, I don't own.)

* * *

Jack had found Anna and Akira, and was explaining it best he could to them. "_And, and, he just picked her up and took her, and now I'm really scared because she went to the headquarters and now she might die or something! We have to find Gold, Silver and Opal!" _Anna nodded.

"I think I might be able to. Akira! Try to psychically sense them or something! Hurry!" The Courageous Warrior Pokemon nodded, and scanned the area. "_Wotcher, just coming out of the Game Corner." _They rushed off, and met up with the three.

"Anna! You're alive!"

"Gold! You're...well, drunk." The boy shook his head.

"Nuh-yuh..." Silver rolled his eyes.

"Yes, you are. Don't make me bitch-slap you sober, you frickin' drunkard." Gold straightened up, and cheered.

"Okay. For fear of bitch-slaps, I am alright, I swear. Now, what's wrong? Where's Liv?" Anna sighed.

"Jack said that a member of the New Order League was taking her to their headquarters. We have to go get her." Opal nodded slowly.

"I see. Amai, combine your powers with Akira's, and teleport us to Mt. Moon, please. We'll get Red." The Espeon nodded, and as she and Akira focused their powers, a white light surrounded them, and took them to Mt. Moon to find the Resistance Order.

Anna looked at everyone. "Let's go."

* * *

Morgan massaged his temples, and murmured, "An explanation. Of course; you are my comrades, you deserve one." He looked down at Livvy.

"Before I married Elizabeth, I had another wife, named Sheila. She was my wife after Bethany died. Olivia lived with her, and I left them both. I needed to become Champion, and I couldn't bring the two of them into it. I didn't want Olivia to grow up in my shadow, or get killed by some of my enemies. I had to protect her." Derek raised an eyebrow.

"Well, you've done a fantastic job." Morgan nodded.

"I...I realize it wasn't the smartest decision, but I just...I didn't want her to be hurt. I didn't want it to end like this..." He looked down at his sleeping daughter, and laid his head on hers, feeling her for just a moment.

"I've made my mistakes. I think that when she wakes up, she'll have to make her decision for herself. For now, I want you three to leave and finish the paperwork; Tristan, stay for a moment, please." He looked at the man for a moment, and Tristan suddenly felt incredibly awkward.

"Listen to me. If my assumptions are correct, Red and the others will be coming for her soon. And if that happens, I am likely to die. Tristan, there are some things I must tell you." He looked down at Olivia.

"I was in love with Bethany Moore. Before she died in the riots, I delivered her—our, child. Bethany was in Blackthorn at the time, and she left baby Olivia with her sister, Sheila. The woman had been thrilled to take Olivia, for she loved her sister, and would do anything she asked." He looked down at Olivia.

"And, of course, Bethany perished in the riots, killed by Bruce. God, she was just like Olivia, really. Stubborn and devoted to her cause." Tristan sighed.

"Well sir, let's hope it doesn't lead to the same outcome." Morgan nodded. "Indeed. Oh, Tristan...I loved her." He looked at Tristan.

"What have I become? This...this is not what I wanted. This isn't me. I swear, I swear. I didn't...want all these people dead. I just...I just..." His eyes lit with rage.

"It wasn't damned fair! I never got to love without losing, why do _they _get all of the love in this world! I had to kill them, don't you see! They needed to _know _suffering, to understand it as I have!" Morgan gripped Tristan by the shoulders, and leaned in close.

"It's not fair. They shouldn't...shouldn't love without losing. GODDAMNIT!" He threw Tristan back, and continued screaming.

"Everyone I know! DEAD! Gone! Or my worst enemies! Everyone I ever loved is DEAD!" Tristan shook his head.

"Olivia," He gasped, wind still knocked out of him, "Roger. Eliz..." Morgan hissed.

"Don't say her damn name. Out of the two women I've married, out of duty or need, never love, she's the worse. At least Sheila looked like my beautiful Bethany..." He sat on the edge of Olivia's bed, and sighed.

"And...ah, yes. Livvy and Roger. My beautiful, wonderful children, who didn't deserve this. I'm a damned horrible father, Tristan. Look at what I've done to my children. Roger's gone, and probably hates me. And Livvy... I've ruined them forever. It's...not fair." Morgan sighed.

"The last two people I loved, and I've become the one to ruin them. Isn't that fucking _ironic." _Tristan sat next to Morgan, and tilted his head towards himself.

"Look at me." Tristan ordered quietly. Morgan did. Tristan sighed, and hugged the Champion tightly, stroking his hair. His hair was just a shade lighter than Olivia's, Tristan mused. Bethany must've had dark hair.

Morgan pulled away, and looked at Tristan. "Sir?" Tristan asked, voice slightly strangled.

"Are you straight?"

Morgan raised an eyebrow. "This is an odd question to ask. Is there something you're not telling me, Tristan?" Tristan's face burned red.

"Uh. No, sir, it's just..." He looked down, suddenly finding great interest in his feet. He'd worn boots that day, he noted.

"Sir...if, well, _hypothetically_ of course, I loved you...I, um, hypothetically, would never leave you. Ever. And I wouldn't mind if it hypothetically fucked me up. Because, hypothetically, I wouldn't mind being fucked up if it meant hypothetically being fucked up with _you_. ...Or something."

He looked down at his feet still, boring holes in his leather boots.

"And you're hypothetically beautiful." He muttered, finishing.

Morgan stared incredulously at him.

"...I see. Well, then," He leaned in, and kissed Tristan fully on the lips.

"We'll have to hypothetically keep this a secret."

Morgan walked out to go check the surveillance systems. As an afterthought, he stopped to hear Tristan's reaction outside the door.

He heard a gasp, and then a thud. He smirked, and peeked back in. Tristan had fainted on the floor.

"Well," Morgan murmured, "I haven't done _that _in awhile."

* * *

Red paced the floor of the headquarters. "You're telling me they took Livid." He said quietly. Anna nodded.

"Yeah. Who's here right now?" Red sighed, and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Sapphire, Ruby, Berlitz, Crystal, and Yellow. There's been a lot of reports we've had to investigate, so everyone's out right now...But they'll be happy to storm this place." A glint appeared in Red's eyes.

"We've been waiting for an excuse to do this for years."

Akira took Anna's hand, and closed his eyes. "_Anna." _He turned to her, and took her in his arms.

"_One last time. Tonight. If we die... Let me just feel you, be one with you...one last night, please." _Anna got his meaning, and nodded slowly. The two got up, and as Red began to make plans, slipped out into one of the barracks.

It was their last time. Instinctively, they both knew it. Nothing was ever certain, they say, but people sometimes just _know._

Clothes, on Anna's part, gone. Lips meeting, stomachs meshed together, and they met like a pair of Siamese twins, coming together and pulling apart in a gentle rhythm, holding each other while the world fell apart at the seams, they grasped the strings of love, and tried in vain to sew it back up again.

"Akira," She cried softly, reaching her peak. Akira held her tightly, and the two lay there, still entangled.

It could've gone on forever. They wanted it to. But, alas, everything ends.

Anna looked at him, and grinned. "Well, let's make this last one a bang, love." Akira grinned.

"_Wotcher." _

* * *

/Olivia's POV/

My eyes fluttered open. My legs hurt, and my head felt very odd. Like...

"Fried fucking eggs!" I blurted out, shooting up in bed. The man next to me jumped. "This is your _fucking _brain on drugs!" I roared.

The man began to laugh, shaking his head. I stared at him. "Hi." He straightened, and caught my gaze. "Hello, Olivia." I smiled.

"Thank you, Tristan." He smiled back at me. I looked at the door. "Where's daddy?" He stopped short, and his face burned red for an instant. I looked at him, puzzled. "Isn't he here?" Tristan nodded.

"I...I suppose. Yes, he'll want to see you. Hang on, I need my Pokemon." I brightened.

"Can I see them!?" He nodded. "Yes...sure. Houndoom, Weavile, Ivysaur, Umbreon, and Gliscor! Come on out!" Ivysaur, who was already out, waved. Houndoom growled softly at me, wagging his tail. The Pokemon all seemed well cared for, and I had to feel respect for this man. He didn't seem too bad...

Tristan took my hand, and led me down the hallway. It was then I remembered. "Jack!" Tristan frowned. "Olivia...well, I don't know where he is right now. You see, when I found you, my only concern was getting you out of there." I stopped.

"Jack." I said hoarsely. "Where's Jack?" Tristan sighed.

"We're all looking for all of your Pokemon; don't fear, Morgan will find them!" I nodded.

"Tristan...are you sure?" He stopped for a second. He nodded.

"I believe in your father." And I knew then he wasn't just talking about finding Jack and the others. I looked at the spark in his eyes, and saw there exactly what I'd seen sometimes in Jack's eyes when he looked at me.

Love.

Daddy was waiting in his office as I went in. He smiled at me, and pulled me close. "Livvy. I'm so proud of you for getting out of this okay. You're a very brave girl." I nodded, and hugged him.

He turned to the computers, and keyed in something, looking up at me. "Livvy, have you seen Roger? He ran away when the S.S. Anne stopped in Fuchsia, and I don't know where he is..." I stopped for a second.

Roger.

Roxie.

But...

My mind was a blank. I didn't know if my hunch was correct, but...could Roxie have been Roger? So wouldn't that mean...

I shook my head. "I haven't seen him since Vermilion, daddy. I bet he's probably in Celadon, trying to get his fourth badge. Or maybe back in Fuchsia." Morgan nodded, and frowned.

"I'm just worried. He might be hurt..." I sighed. Roger was my brother, and I was worried, as I had expected.

But I had to find him just as much as daddy, maybe even more, because I needed to know what the hell had happened in Celadon that night.

"Tristan? Daddy?" I said quietly.

"I have to get back to Celadon soon...I need to make it through the League." Morgan turned around, and shook his head.

"Princess. Please, hear me out. Will you...stay here for awhile? Not much longer than a week, but I want you here with me. The League is still months away. I might not get another chance to see you until then."

I knew he was who Red was fighting against. I knew he was responsible for so many deaths, so many broken families and forgotten children, and I knew that I should hate him for that.

And part of me did. I really was so angry that I couldn't just live in peace, that I had to fight against my father and everything he stood for, just for a shot at happiness.

But the other part of me loved him so much it frightened me, the part that had made up fantasies about a father I hadn't had, the part that had clung to the few happy memories I had left of a man who'd loved me...That part loved her daddy, even if her daddy was a totalitarian lunatic who'd ordered the deaths of innumerable people and ruled Kanto with an iron fist.

Well, can't choose who you're related to.

I nodded. "Okay. But only a week. I have to make it to the League this year!" I tried to sound like an excited child, but I don't think Tristan believed me. Daddy did, and smiled at me. Instantly, I felt guilty for faking it.

"Wonderful, princess. Tristan, why don't you take her down to the training rooms, show her how you four fight?" I looked at Tristan, who nodded, and pointed to the door.

As we walked, I could've sworn I felt the presence of Jack's thoughts, but dismissed it quickly, following Tristan down the corridor.


	17. Over and over we die

(I KNOW I SAID FASTER UPDATES. But dammit, I'm working on SIX FICS right now, and I didn't even want to write this chapter, because a shitload of characters DIE. Dammit! Ah, ignore me, I'm just pissed. Anyways, I swear faster updates...if I don't have to kill anyone else off...I don't own, okay?)

* * *

Red grinned, as he stared up at the fortress that was the Indigo Plateau.

"Tonight, we fight. Now," He said, shoving a gun in his holster, and Pokeballs into the clasps on his belt, "Let's go save Livvy."

Jack rushed toward the door. _"Livvy! We're coming!" _The group, consisting of Sapphire, Ruby, Lady Berlitz, Diamond, Yellow, Blue, Silver, Gold, Opal, Anna, Akira, and their respective Pokemon, burst into the place.

Obviously, the guards spotted them. Pika fired off a Thunder Wave, Saur, a Stun Spore, leaving them free to speed past the guards and get in.

* * *

Olivia sat in the training room, and watched Tristan and Jeremy duke it out. Jeremy had an Ursaring, and Tristan was using his Ivysaur. She sighed, and put her head in her palms, observing quietly.

Tristan's Ivysaur was tough; he had managed seven Razor Leaf attacks in a row, and a Vine Whip to hold Ursaring down. However, this particular Ursaring was huge, cruel, and brutal, ripping at Ivysaur with his claws.

She noted, however, that Ivysaur actually had the advantage; Ursaring's attacks were missing at a high rate, because he was only focused on the bloodlust, and not strategy. Olivia highly doubted that Jeremy would use him for official League battles, then. Why would he?

Since the training rooms were downstairs a bit, none of them heard the alarms or screams. But for a second, Olivia looked up. "I...I think I heard a noise upstairs. Can we go investigate?" Tristan and Jeremy stopped their battle, and looked up. Nodding, the Elite Four and small girl went upstairs—

And were instantly greeted by gunfire.

"Shit!" Tristan swore. "Fucking _shit!" _He fumbled in his pocket for his gun, and swung his arm out, .22 in hand. He pushed Livvy behind him, and kept going on, fighting his way through.

"The Resistance Order! It's a fucking raid!" Derek shrieked. Tristan looked up, and indeed, saw Red. He groaned quietly. "Olivia! Go talk to them! TELL THEM TO STOP FUCKING SHOOTING!"

* * *

/_Olivia's POV_/

Oh shit, oh shit, Red has a gun and he's shooting the fucking place up. Where the hell is daddy!?

"RED! STOP! STOP! IT'S OKAY, I'M FINE!" I roar over the shouts and gunfire. He ignores me, and shoots another guard in the stomach. I groan.

"You BASTARD! I'm FINE! GET EVERYONE OUT OF HERE!" I scream, trying to find Jack before he gets shot.

"_Livvy! LIVVY!" _My head shoots up. "JACK!" I roar, running towards the sound of his voice. "JACK!" I see the silvery Eevee, surrounded by Santi, Grimwald, and Lev. I scoop him up, and beckon to the others.

"Get in your Pokeballs, and stay there! Jack, you too!" The other three accept the red beams of light, but Jack shakes his head. I roll my eyes. "Fine."

I set off again, rushing through the crowd of people, trying to find Red and tell him to stop, and—

"_Zap Cannon."_

I look up. Gengar stood there, with my daddy by his side. The Ghost Pokemon charged up the bright beam of energy, and fired it off. It struck the wall, which incinerated.

"DADDY!" I roared, rushing towards him. He grabbed me, and pulled me close. "Red." He murmured.

The Trainer looked up into daddy's eyes.

"Hello, Morgan. Like what I've done with your little pet project in your absence?" He purred, eyes focused on Morgan. "I've come to take back my soldier." I stopped, and realized this was my chance to explain anything before more people got hurt.

"Red! It's okay! He's not capturing me, he's my dad! I'm here because I want to be!" I explained, hoping that this would cause him to put his guns down and escape. Red's lips curled into a snarl, disproving my point.

"Your _father. _So, Olivia, how does it feel so be sired by that pig, sitting there ordering executions to please the fundamentalists? How does it feel to know that he's the reason you're fighting now? It's terrible, isn't it?" Red continued on.

"You were called a freak, weren't you? A bastard, a witch, and a maniac? It was all his fault. Your mother _died _because your father got her caught up in his stupid schemes. Died, Olivia. Aren't you angry? Don't you want to kill him?" I looked at daddy.

"But...my mom...she's alive. And in Pallet Town..." Morgan's eyes filled with hatred as he gazed at Red.

"Your mother is dead, Livvy. Her name was Bethany Moore, and she...died fighting against Bruce. She died for her cause, Livvy. Is that what you want?" His eyes were pleading as he looked at me.

I shook my head. I didn't know. I didn't want to die, but what was the point of living in a world where I wasn't free? I looked at Morgan, and made my decision.

"I'd rather die than kill you." His eyes glowed from within with a warmth and love that made me feel so much better for having said something I wasn't sure was true.

Red frowned. "But bringing him down is the _point _of this matter! How are we supposed to bring that about without the death of the one poisoning our country!" I stopped for a second, and began to scream.

"It's not all his fault! It's us too, don't you get it!" I stared out at everyone's surprised faces. "It's the whole region! It's us, only us! We could stop this if we tried! We don't even have to use violence! There are so many of us that they _couldn't _win if we all raised our voices in defiance!" My shoulders were shaking. What the hell was I doing? Did I WANT to get shot?

"Violence isn't always the answer! Why do more people need to die for a cause!? Shouldn't they all be alive to enjoy it after everything's done!? I understand that there's fucking consequences to a war, get that not everyone goes home alive or in one piece! But what's the point of throwing life away when words would work just as well!?" Red stopped.

"You forget your place." He snarled. I shook my head. "I'm just as worthy to say it as you are. Probably even more, since I don't see you speaking up." I turned to the entire group.

"And you know what? If people don't get it because they don't know, make them aware! Do whatever you can to make sure word gets out, because if you get pissed off enough, you'll do whatever you can to stop things!" I looked at Morgan, who merely had an eyebrow raised at this point.

"And if you all tried a bit harder to actually raise awareness about the cruel things that happen to those who don't obey, maybe you'd have more of a goddamn following than a bunch of people sitting in a fucking mountain, plotting who to assassinate next! Doesn't that sound like a better idea? Don't we need more people dedicated to our cause?!" I looked at Red, whose eyes smoldered.

"We don't always need violence. Words, when used correctly, hit as hard as bricks. We just need to get everyone pissed off!" My voice rose to the breaking point.

"SO STOP FUCKING KILLING PEOPLE AGAINST US, AND START PISSING PEOPLE OFF FOR OUR CAUSE, MORONS!" I stopped, voice ragged from overuse, and breathing hard.

Red raised an eyebrow. "Touching. Very sweet, Livvy. But if you don't want to kill your 'daddy', I'll do it for you." He leveled the gun at Morgan, and fired a shot.

It struck Morgan in the shoulder, and it wouldn't be fatal, but he was shot. "MORGAN! SIR! MORGAN!" Tristan roared, rushing over to him. He clutched his body, and Morgan groaned.

"For fuck's sake...Tris...go...shoot...him." I almost giggled, but I remembered that daddy wouldn't understand that I was giggling at Tristan, not him. "Daddy?" I said quietly. Morgan nodded.

"Be...fine...Collins...let's go..." The Elite Four member nodded.

"Okay then! Typhlosion, Smokescreen!" He ordered, and as his Pokemon bathed the room in smoke, I noticed that Collins, Morgan, and Tristan had disappeared, leaving Derek and Jeremy.

Derek nodded at Jeremy, who..._changed, _for lack of a better word. The intelligent, cunning eyes became a deceptively soft and sleepy looking pair of summer-sky eyes.

"Ursaring." He murmured, tossing out the Pokeball.

"Kill them."

In a flash, I realized what he _really _used that giant bear for.

_Executions._

* * *

"Shit." I muttered, before the bear ripped open Red's skull.

Yellow screamed, and the sound aroused Ursaring's killing temper further. He turned to the others, and roared. "GET AWAY!" I shrieked, seeing Gold and Silver already fleeing the building.

"GO! GET OUT!" I screamed, as the Ursaring roared a challenge to the others. Most had escaped, but for Anna and Akira.

Anna looked to be having trouble on her legs, and I remembered her cancer. She just couldn't take the strain anymore, I supposed.

Ursaring sniffed in exultation, sensing a weak victim. He turned to Anna, and grunted happily. I screamed again. "NO, NO! STOP IT!" Anna backed away, pale as a ghost.

Akira leapt in front of her, and I remembered too late, that as much as Anna wouldn't want it, Akira was too damn loyal. He'd die for her...even knowing it was futile.

Was it because he refused to live without her, knowing she would soon fade away into the darkness as well, knowing that the years would stretch on for eons until finally, he just faded away, nothing more than a whisper etched on the onyx wall of remembrance in the Underworld?

Ursaring lunged, and Akira fired off a Psychic blast—

With a snapping sort of crack, Derek fired a gun, and five bullets went out quicker than lightning—

I knew why he'd done it, it was because Akira had missed, and the blasts were headed for me, he was only trying to protect me but _he'd killed Akira—_

He sagged back against the wall, and Jeremy recalled Ursaring in the heat of the moment, and Anna was screaming and screaming and screaming and _WOULD EVERYONE JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP I CAN'T HEAR AKIRA DYING—_

"AKIIIIIRAAAA!" She roared, voice raspy and harsh, a death-rattle sort of noise, and I knew that my voice would sound the same, only for a different reason, because I was trying hard not to laugh—

"_Wotcher, Anna." _He muttered, as she leaned in close. "_Luv, your aura, your psychic scent...it's doubled for two people." _He murmured as the blood leaked out, "_...Take good care of the kid, love. Remember me. I love you, Anna." _She held him close, as blood soaked her jacket.

"Love you too...Akira." She said, voice muffled by misery and tears. He grinned at all of us surrounding him.

"_...Wotcher..." _

And he died.

The shine of his glimmering eyes disappeared, and somewhere, a star winked out in sympathy.

"No." Anna said softly.

"Anna...Anna...no, it's okay. You've got a baby now!" I tried to cheer her up, but she shook her head. She turned to the two remaining Elite Four.

"You will leave this room. I will take Olivia for one day. For the funeral. You can do whatever the hell you want after that. I don't care." She looked at me, and she smiled, but her eyes didn't follow suit.

I got up, and told Derek and Jeremy, "Tell dad I'll be back as soon as I can." My voice dropped.

"And you can tell him, Jeremy, you killed a father."

* * *

We walked out in silence, Anna carrying Akira's body. Red was left behind. We just couldn't handle the weight, mentally and physically.

"Anna..." I said softly. She turned to me.

"Listen to me. Whoever you love, do not let them go. It's not worth living without them. Take care of Jack, Olivia. And take care of yourself, because you mean the world to Jack, and it'd kill him if you died." She kissed me, just once, and there were tears in her eyes.

"Let's go."

The night was so close to waning that we could bury Akira in silence. Just me, her, and Gold, Opal, and Silver. They'd shown up because Amai had alerted them to the death of a fellow Psychic.

We stood there as the night began to give way to daylight.

"Say something." I told Anna, as we stood over the pile of dirt. A white stone nearby had been chipped away by Grimwald's teeth into a headstone, and psychic energy from Amai had inscribed,

"_Akira: Friend, Lover, Would-be Father. His death will light the way for a new world." _All of the Pokemon were out, and bawling silently.

She spoke quietly.

"He meant the world to me. I loved him enough to do anything for him. Wherever he is...I hope I end up there too." We all nodded, and suddenly, Anna turned on her heel and fled.

She tore off, feet pounding against the dirt floor of the forest, and she burst through the gates of the Headquarters.

"NO! NO, ANNA, NO!" I roared, as we gave chase.

She pulled out a gun, one she must've stolen from one of the Elite Four, because she wouldn't have carried otherwise, _not one more person was dying tonight goddammit—_

She burst in, and ran down the steps, finding Collins outside the hospital wing. She leveled the gun on him, and screamed, pulling the trigger.

It was empty, but Collins didn't know that. He shot five times, /_Just like Akira/ _I thought, and she fell.

"ANNA!" I roared, skidding to a stop in front of her. Collins was weeping. "I didn't know...I'm sorry, Livvy, I didn't know it was empty..." I looked down at her.

"Why, Anna? You...you had a kid." She grinned weakly at me.

"Didn't want him to grow up without a mother...or a father...cancer woulda killed me anyway, 'fore the kid was even two. Better just for all of us...to stay in heaven together..." She looked at Jack.

"You mean the world to him. Remember that. You're all the other has got." She struggled weakly to slump against the wall.

"_Live, _damn you." She spat. "Live...because I _couldn't..._Without _him..." _Her eyes welled with tears.

"His name would've been Damien." She closed her eyes, and let one final word slip from her lips.

"_Akira..."_

I stopped.

She was dead now. But there weren't any more tears.

Just another dead body.


	18. One After the Other

(MUHAHAHAHA. I am evil. Also, damn you Rose. See, this wasn't supposed to happen. But now it did, because she wouldn't stop with her belief Anna was preggers, and I was like, 'that's actually a good idea'. ...Yeah. Once again, probably breaking medical physics, but the child might survive for a few minutes afterward, I think. Don't know.

Is it preachy, this chapter? Yes. Probably. If you flame me for the views in the chapter, I don't care, but...well, really, peace and love, man. I don't own.

The aftermath of Red's death is in the next chapter, I promise. And what happens to their Pokemon? The Resistance Order? Yellow? You'll see next chapter, I swear...)

* * *

I stared down at her corpse—and saw her stomach roll. It rippled, and Collins gasped.

"She's...she's still in labor! My god, she's going to give birth postmortem!"

That did it. My grief and sadness overwhelmed me—and I burst out laughing.

My dead friend was giving birth. By_ god_, this day couldn't get any weirder.

"SAVE THE KID!" Gold roared. Collins nodded.

"Well, I suppose it'll be possible...but I'll have to do it by cesarean. Get the body into the—" I interrupted.

"Her name was Anna." Collins nodded.

"Fine. Get Anna's body into the operating room. The three of you, help me. Livvy, go see your father." I nodded dumbly as they gently picked up Anna's body and rushed out.

I looked down at the blood on the floor.

Two of my greatest friends had died in the span of a night and day.

One died a hero, protecting the one that he loved.

The other died behind a veil of grief for all she'd lost, and all she would not, could not endure—but her death was no less noble. For really, she died so that the soul of Akira wouldn't go alone into the darkness.

And there is no nobler death than one that is for those you love.

They'd make their children proud, but it didn't matter. Any child in the world would rather have a parent than pride.

I walked down the hospital wing, and found daddy's room by following the sound of Tristan's hysterical screaming.

* * *

"Please don't die on me sir, please! YOU CAN'T DIE!" He wailed at the top of his lungs, shaking Morgan by both shoulders.

Morgan opened on bleary eye. "Tristan...you fucking...moron...I'm...fine. Stop...shaking...my...wound..." Tristan burst into tears, and slammed his lips onto Morgan's. Morgan moaned softly, and the two began vigorously putting their tongues to _very _good use.

"...Hi, daddy." I said, causing the two of them to stop.

I was almost expecting some sort of spokesperson jumping out from behind the door, and scream, "SMILE MOTHERFUCKERS, YOU'RE ON CANDID CAMERA!"

"_Tristuh." _Morgan hissed. "_Guh offuh muh muth." _Tristan pulled away, and blinked at me. I cocked my head and stared at him.

"...So..." I said, hoping one of them would proffer an explanation.

I got none. I rolled my eyes, and said, "You know, you're going to have to look at some of these rules of yours now."

Morgan smiled at me, and pulled me close. I knew what'd I said was lighthearted enough, but the acceptance in those words meant everything to him. "Livvy...are you hurt? You're covered in blood..."

I'm sure I must've shocked him, but I began bawling at the top of my lungs then, sobbing hysterically. Tristan jumped in his seat a bit, even.

"ANNA AND AKIRA ARE DEAD!" I roared, pressing my face into his chest. He stopped.

"The girl with green hair? Really? And her Gallade...that was Akira, right?" I nodded, clinging to him in tears. Morgan sighed, and rocked me back and forth. "And you're covered in their blood." I nodded. He sighed.

"Tristan, please help Livvy into the shower—" I shook my head.

"Wanna see the baby."

They both looked shocked.

"Tristan," Morgan ordered, "I want this damn bed on wheels wheeled right the fuck down to the operating room." Tristan gave him a mocking salute.

"Yes, sir." He grinned easily, and grabbed the bed and IV drip, pushing the bed down the hall.

...So. Damn. Surreal.

* * *

Once we got to the room, I almost vomited.

Anna's stomach was split open, and Collins and Derek were in the process of pulling the baby out.

And there was another one in there.

I stayed silent as the child was slowly yanked out of Anna's stomach, blood dripping down from the child and making it look like a giant meatball dripping with sauce, which, in retrospect, wasn't the best comparison, but my mind made it anyways.

This one was a boy. Collins cleared out his mouth as Derek severed the umbilical cord, and as they did so, the boy began to wail.

He wasn't human, at least, not fully. He already had a full head of hair, and it was bright blue, the same shocking color of Akira's helmet. There was, however, a streak of rebellious greyish-pewter dead center in the hair. His eyes were open. They were that same insanely orange that Akira's were, and his skin was the color of snow under the blood and afterbirth.

For a second, I thanked Mew that Akira had at least stood on two legs and lacked a tail and paws; it at least made sure the kids didn't have tails or odd ears.

"There's two." I said. "But...Akira said he only sensed two in Anna's psychic scent...what?" Collins shrugged.

"Maybe it was that Anna was close to death, and her scent might've been depleted. Not knowing there were twins, he sensed two and figured that only one was the baby."

Derek had managed to pull the other one out as Collins talked, this one an obvious female.

Her hair was the same shade as her mothers', and already almost down to her shoulders, almost like a Gardevoir or Gallade's helmet. There was a bit of blue in her hair as well, small streaks that looked more like cracks in a mirror than hair.

Her eyes were the too-wide bright orange her fathers' had been.

/_His name would've been Damien/_

"The boy...Anna said she wanted his name to be Damien." I blurted out, unsure of what else to say.

Dear god, how were we going to raise these kids...?

"And the girl?" Morgan said. I shrugged.

"I don't know." Morgan looked down at her.

"She looks like a Seamus." We all stared at him.

"...Sir. Seamus is a boy's name." Collins said. Morgan glared at him. "Well, I don't see _you _offering suggestions!" He snapped. Collins rolled his eyes.

"Well, thankfully they were about four months along; and they...appear to be...half-Pokemon, which means that the gestation period would've been shortened at any rate. They appear to be healthy enough, but I suggest that we keep them in an incubator until tomorrow."

I stared down at all that was left of Anna and Akira.

Damien and Seamus.

Well, it was better than Dick and Jane.

...The laughter that had been welling in me all night burst out like a river, and I sagged to the floor, laughing hysterically.

The entire group quirked their eyebrows. I shook my head, and sank to a prostrate position, giggling and snorting, unable to stop myself.

"Juh-je-jesus f-f-fuckin' cuh-cuh-rist, fu-fuc-fuckin' _SEAMUS!" _I managed to choke out before dissolving into hysterical giggles again.

Gold grinned. "Shay-mish. Howzat, little girl? You like being Shay-mish?" He slurred, taking the girl and dancing around with her.

"Let's be their daddies, Silver! C'mon, it'll be fun!" Gold encouraged, as Opal snickered.

Silver's eyes almost fell out of their sockets. "Fuck NO, I hate kids!" He shrieked, flapping his hands in a very odd sort of display of feminine insanity.

Morgan took Seamus gently from Gold's arms, and held her. She waved one hand around, and gripped his finger with the other.

"Tristan." He said. Tristan snapped to attention.

"Sir?" He asked, knowing exactly what Morgan was going to say. /_Let's kill them./_

"Let's keep 'em."

...Or, not.

"...Sir, they're two babies. And we're both men, and, well, can't...y'know, breastfeed." The other people in this room, even Collins and Derek, were dissolving into very undignified giggles behind Tristan's back.

Morgan raised an eyebrow. "It's called a bottle, Tristan. And I'm sure MooMoo milk would work just as well." He smirked. "Unless you want to see me without my shirt off." I rolled my eyes, but everyone else just stared. Tristan squeaked indignantly,

"Of course not, sir! ...Well, yes, but no, oh, you know what I mean!" He spat, face bright red. Morgan began laughing again, and handed him Damien.

"...I'm sure I do." He said in an amused tone. Collins and Derek were stunned.

"...Sir? Tristan? Does this...um...mean, that, well...you two are in a...committed relationship?" Derek ventured, unsure of what to say about this.

Morgan shrugged. "Does it concern you?" Derek and Collins looked confused. Then both their jaws set—but before they did, I saw them smile.

"No, sir." Collins said, a muscle in his jaw twitching. I shook my head.

"If you want to laugh, go ahead." I told them, trying hard not to start laughing again myself.

Everyone stayed silent until Morgan was wheeled back to his room with the twins in his arms, Tristan still bright red.

And then we all collapsed in laughter.

* * *

Jeremy was pacing in his room, as Ursaring lazily licked blood off his paws, grunting occasionally at his trainer.

Tristan had tended to Morgan, and after assuring him Damien and Seamus would be fine in the incubator thing, went off to find Jeremy.

Tristan knocked gently on his door, and called out, "Jeremy?"

The man turned around.

"You've come to yell, haven't you?" He said. Jeremy sighed.

"...I was doing my duty. I was doing what we should do. Kill the rebels, destroy all thought of defiance, execute the perverted humans who fuck Pokemon like they're some sort of _human. _These are the values the New Order League believes, aren't they? So why should it matter they're both dead?"

Tristan didn't have an answer for that, really. It was true, all he said. The League was against Pokephilia, and demanded obedience to the Champion and the law. And Anna and Akira had stood against that with all they were.

But...Tristan was a part of what the New Order League stood against now. And technically, so was Morgan, who'd started the damn thing in the first place.

Oh, irony, you are a bitch.

Tristan shrugged, and said to Jeremy, "Well...sometimes, the values someone holds...well, the person might believe in them with all their heart. And even if they're wrong, that's okay, because they deserve to have an opinion of their own." Tristan began to find his words better.

"It's different, though, when you try to force your beliefs on others; especially when they hurt people. It's okay if people hold a deeply held belief in world peace, and work to make it happen, because peace would ensure no one is hurt." He took a breath.

"But it's different when you're banning things that really, you shouldn't be involved in. So if we're not gay, or attracted to Pokemon, fine. But the people that are aren't trying to force us to be gay or like Pokemon, so we should just leave them alone and ensure them their happiness." He grinned.

"We're all sentient beings. We deserve the right to love, and to be free of rules that tell us that our love is wrong, or unnatural. So...Jeremy, sometimes values shouldn't be held, because they're not really valuing anything but another person's own fears." He stopped.

"Um...sorry, I got a bit preachy. But..." Jeremy looked up at him with haunted eyes.

"Killing is all I know, Tristan." He said quietly. "I am what I am. If they take away these rules, if they take away the system, I will probably die or go mad. Why should I even care about this stuff?" Tristan frowned.

"Well, killing innocent people isn't really something you should aspire for. There are other reasons—and better people—to kill. Like fathers who hit their kids, uncles who rape their nieces and nephews, priests that use their power to abuse small children...these people deserve to die, slowly and painfully if possible. So...well, it's not like some people don't need to die. But you're killing all the wrong people." He chose his next words carefully, as Jeremy was eyeing him with an odd look.

"You shouldn't kill the victims of an oppressive system; you should kill the perpetrators." Jeremy's eyes flashed.

"That would mean killing you. And Morgan, and myself, and Collins, and Derek." Tristan shook his head.

"...I think we're trying to change. Trying to understand...though I fear the scar we've left on these people will live for a long, long time. It's too late to stop the problem, as we've let this shit fester and rot for a long time now. But we can at least admit we fucked up." He said bluntly. Jeremy just stared at him.

Tristan sighed. "She had twins. If you want to see them, well..."

And with that, he turned on his heel and walked out.

He ambled down the hallway, and sighed.

How were they supposed to admit their mistakes?

And were they really wrong in the first place? Didn't they just want to do good?

But what was really good, truly something to strive for?

...He didn't know. And, he suspected, neither did anyone else.

* * *

(Don't think for a SECOND that everything's going to go back to normal and the League is going to be all happy and tolerant, and Gold and Silver will get married. Because there's been too much time for the fundies to flourish in this society. It extends far beyond the New Order League now...Muhahaha, I still have race riots and anti-choice murderers planned...we're not even on the fifth frickin' badge...)


	19. A sound like a tiger

(I am so sorry. Feel free to shoot me.

Oh, my god. This hasn't been updated in forever, and then...I'm SO SORRY. Really, really. I was working on Fatal Error with Abyss, and then I just neglected everything else because I was reeling from Akira and Anna's deaths, I'm so sorry.

DUN DUN DUN! I bring the suspense in...well, okay, like, two paragraphs, but I had to get things back on track again...so sorry if this chapter sucks. Oh my god. I swear I'll update more.

Yes, they're leaving. But it's not permanent. I love those two. But the others have a whole arc dedicated to the ghosts of their pasts...so yeah. I'm not giving this away, just read the chapter, okay? I don't own Pokemon or whatever.)

* * *

A thin plume of smoke trailed from the cigarette Tristan listlessly smoked, as Olivia and the surviving members of the raid departed the League. They looked incredibly calm and composed, but Tristan knew for a fact that Olivia literally had to be yanked away from her dad mere minutes ago.

Morgan watched as they left, and refused to cry. "Tristan," He said quietly, "look at me." The younger man did so, and cocked his head towards the Champion. "Sir?" Morgan smiled to himself.

"As you know, the Resistance Order is a group whose members are to be put to death upon immediate capture, yes?" Tristan was confused.

"Yes, sir, I do know that, but...what does that have to do with anything?" He said. Morgan turned away, and headed back in.

"They were never here."

Tristan suddenly knew that it was now going to have to be his job to public relations the hell out of the fact that there was a raid on the League Headquarters...

"You bastard!" He howled in rage. "I'm going to fucking kill you!"

Morgan's hysterical laughter, however, soothed his temper.

Tristan, however pissed he may be, had a secret.

He was currently in control of the entire headquarters' supply of handcuffs. Hooray for being in charge of surveillance.

"Oh, sir, your ass is mine..." He grumbled, not even stopping to consider the implications of his choice of words...If he did, it probably would've meant the same thing, anyways.

* * *

"I'm leaving the Order."

Gold spit his coffee out, soaking Crystal thoroughly in a double shot of espresso.

"You can't leave! You're our adorable-yet-insane mascot! You're the fresh new start of the Order! You're...you're...you're the protagonist!" He said.

"Yeah, we were actually going to ask you to lead. So you can't leave."

My head snapped in the direction of the voice that had spoken. I gasped softly.

Besides Red, he had been rumored to be one of the most powerful Trainers in the Order. He was proud, unfeeling, and unflinching.

"Lance..." I whispered softly. He nodded.

"Now, considering the amount of good it would do to have the Champion's daughter as our leader, and also, your very interesting display on the raid...I personally endorse you as a leader." Gold waved his hand.

"Me too! Silver does, but he's..." Silver was asleep, snoring loudly. Gold sighed.

"...He does that at meetings." I raised an eyebrow, and laughed. But then the reminder that everyone was hanging onto my every word got back to me.

"I accept." I said, shoving my hands in my pockets. Jack stood on my shoulder, tail wagging.

"And as your new leader, my first official act is to disband the Resistance Order."

My words came out of my mouth before I could stop them. I didn't know what I was saying at this point...but...it seemed right.

Everyone stopped short. "...What?" Yellow whispered. Her eyes were red-rimmed, and she was clutching Pika to her chest. I nodded.

"...We...we can't hide any longer. Don't you see why we failed?! Because we hid in caves like animals! We need to fight back! I mean, sure, we need to stay together in a group, but we need to do more than just sit in this cave and do nothing! What have we done, really, but kill?! We need to educate!"

I stopped.

"Yellow." I said quietly. She looked up at me, and I felt a stabbing pity for her; she was so young, and she'd loved Red with all her heart, if not always like a lover, than an older brother. She didn't deserve any of this.

"Yellow, I leave you in charge of everyone. I need you do make a difference, stir shit up. Can you do that for me?" She nodded, sobbing openly now. I nodded slowly.

"...Lance. You take Subakami and Ragnarok. Jupetta, you go with Sabrina, Lucifer, you go with Karen. I want Yellow to take care of all of Red's Pokemon." I turned on my heel, and went to leave, almost reaching the door—and then I stopped.

"See you in hell." I grinned, giving them a two-fingered salute before heading out.

It was silent for a second.

Then a raucous cheer rose up from the ashes of the Resistance Order.

* * *

I laughed quietly, and started off down Mt. Moon, Jack at my side, knowing that I was alone now. It didn't feel as bad as I'd thought...but...I didn't know anything anymore.

I didn't even know if walking away from this stuff was worth it. Was it? Or was I just in for a world of hurt, fighting alone?

"HEY! HEY! LIVVY!"

Opal, Gold, and Silver all raced up to me. Gold grinned.

"Look, I like Yellow a lot, and I don't want this to fail; Silver and I are going to stay behind for a bit to help her get things going, but we promise, promise, promise, we'll meet with you in about a week." I nodded, hugging the both of them.

"You don't have to follow me." I whispered. Silver shook his head.

"No...but it's our pleasure to fight with you, Livvy. Look, the hell with hiding in a cave!" His eyes shone. "We can fight!" I nodded, heart firmly lodged in my throat by this point.

"I'm coming with you." Opal said softly, taking my hand, and gazing into my eyes. My cheeks warmed, and I mentally swore.

"...Okay." I mumbled. Amai frowned, but said nothing.

I closed my eyes as Silver and Gold left to head up to help Yellow become the new leader of whatever the hell they were doing now. I didn't want to see them leave. I hoped they meant it, and they were going to be back soon.

Opal nodded at my Pokemon. "Okay. We're back to where we started from. Look, we'll just take Myrtle; she's an Altaria, she can carry both of us. But we'll have to recall everyone else. We need to get back to Celadon, right?" I nodded.

Opal called out Myrtle, and I recalled everyone, including a rather put-out Jack. Amai was recalled as well, much to her chagrin.

Opal took my hand, and helped me up onto Myrtle; I tried not to blush again, but when he sat me in the juncture between her wings and neck, he came from behind and settled in back of me, hips firmly clutching my back.

I wanted to alternately kill him and jump him, whichever came first.

We lifted off into the air, and soared off for Celadon. I was in a state of half-sleep for the entire ride, and let Opal take over the reins and control Myrtle.

I noticed about an hour later we were above Celadon. I nodded, and said, "Bank down, okay?" Myrtle nodded, and we dove down to the city, as we both lightly jumped off Myrtle. I turned to Opal.

"I'm going to get my Badge; why don't you go explore around for awhile? I should be done in awhile. See you later?" I asked. Opal nodded.

"Alright; I'm just going to go look around in the forests around here; if there's any cool Pokemon, I'll let you know." I nodded, and turned to my Pokemon. "Let's go!" They all cheered happily, and with a light heart, I set off for the Celadon Gym.

Opal strolled down the street, heading towards the glades surrounding Celadon. The trees glimmered with rain, leaves trembling with the weight of the drops. Opal sighed in happiness, and slouched against a tree, laying his head back, and going to sleep.

* * *

"_My son...my son!" Opal looked up. Where was he? Certainly not in Celadon, that was for sure. He observed the place._

_It looked like a jigsaw puzzle someone had put together by cutting off pieces to make other ones fit; everything was colliding into each other, and seemed so out-of-place. _

_He looked up, and saw his mother, Celeste Trent. _

"_...Mom?" He whispered softly, unsure of what was going on. She nodded. "Oh, oh sweetie, Opal..." He felt arms wrap around him, and pull him close. He pulled away, and looked at her. _

"_What's going on? Why are you here? ...You...you're dead!" He cried. Oh god, don't let this be a dream; he'd missed her so much... She nodded._

"_I'm dead. But you're dreaming, and I came to talk to you. I'm in the Torn World; the Reverse World, as some call it. I can reach you from there. Listen to me, Opal," She said, suddenly becoming stern, "I need you to get the Pokeball." He looked confused._

"_What, mom? The Pokeball? But...what does a Pokeball have to do with it?" She sighed._

"_Mew's Pokeball. I...I kept a secret from you. Opal, I'm sorry. I...before you were born, I hunted down the Goddess of all Legends, Mew...and I caught her. After I died, she escaped, taking the Pokeball with her. Now...it's in the possession of the Eevee your friend owns. Jack, his name is?" Opal nodded, still trying to take what she was saying in._

"_...You're...you're telling me you caught Mew? THE Mew?" Celeste nodded. _

"_Indeed I did. Now, since Jack has the Pokeball, all he has to do is touch the thing, and he can summon Mew. Imagine, Opal, the power that you could have at your fingertips! Mew, at your beck and call!" Opal looked confused._

"_But why do _you _want it back? What use does it have for you?" Celeste frowned._

"_With it, you could take down the entire League. Mew is one of the most powerful Pokemon in existence; with her at your beck and call, you could do anything you wanted! Anything, Opal!" She stood still. Then she stroked his cheek, and grinned eerily._

"_Like be with mommy forever. Would you like that? You could bring mommy back to the real world, and she could stay...forever and ever. Don't you want to be with me forever, Opal?" He nodded slowly._

"_...I...I guess..."_

"_OPAL!" A new voice thundered. Both humans looked up. "Amai?" Opal whispered. _

"_IT'S A TRAP! SHE WANTS YOU TO KILL JACK! COME BACK, OPAL!" Opal faltered. _

"_...I...I don't know what to do..." His mother turned to him, and as she reached for him, he felt Amai's psychic threads pull him out of the abyss, and he was reaching for his mother's hand, but she was too far away and—_

* * *

"_OPAL!" _His eyes shot open, and as Amai stood over him, he blinked.

"What...what happened?" Amai frowned. "_The Reverse World...somehow, without Giratina's doing, she managed to contact the living...it's...almost unheard of." _Amai gazed at him. "_You're...not actually going to take the Pokeball, are you?" _Opal faltered.

"...No...no, of course not...come on, let's go look for some other Pokemon..." He set off, and, sighing, Amai followed him.

But the nagging voice in his head had no intention of leaving any time soon.

I sighed, as I stared up at the gym. "Eew. It's all flowery." Lev sneezed, as did Jack. I grinned.

"Looks like someone's allergic to pollen..." Grimwald looked up from the flowers, a mouthful of honeycomb in his mouth.

"_Hey! These Combee share! C'mon, it tastes really good!" _I grinned, and looked at the tiny colony all around the front of the gym.

/_Hello!/ _I called with my thoughts. They buzzed, and as I touched one, it cooed, /_Hello, Human Speaker!/ _I blinked.

"...Does Human Speaker mean one who can talk to Pokemon?"I whispered. The Combee nodded. I grinned.

/_I see. Then hello, Pokemon Speaker./ _They buzzed happily, as we all selected a few sections of the waxy honeycomb that were all packed with honey.

Sweetly smelling, we blended in with the massive amounts of flowers that bloomed readily in the Gym. Even though the flowers were almost painful to look at, I enjoyed the scenery. It was so calm and peaceful in here...

Santi flexed his shoulders. "_I'm itching for a fight, aren't you?" _I nodded.

"Of course!"

I walked up to the center of the Gym, where a young girl my age sat, picking flowers with a Meganium. I was a bit stunned. "_Aren't...aren't the Gym Leaders supposed to be a bit...oh, how do I put this...should they REALLY be jailbait!?" _Grimwald remarked. I shrugged.

"Hello?" I called out. The girl looked up, soft red hair bouncing down to her shoulders.

"Hi! I'm Melia!" She chirped, as the Meganium eyed us. "It's nice to meet you! Are you here for a battle?" She asked, suddenly getting serious. I nodded.

She grinned.

"Okay!" She called, summoning a Pokeball. "Ready whenever you are!"


	20. Now if she does it like this

(More warnings! Okay, since I already said I'd write the Gym battle in this chapter, I was debating a Morgan/Tristan smut scene. But then I decided I couldn't cram both into one chapter. And I had a REALLY good idea afterwards.

So, there's very little actual sex in this chapter. But there's a ton of descriptions of sex toys, so I advise you to skip it if it irks you. And Hello Kitty is seriously getting into every thing. Those two toys EXIST, by the way. What next, people!? Hello Kitty caskets!? /Which, I'm sad to say, I'd TOTALLY buy./

Okay. The twins are only about...a week old, let's say? By the by, they are about at the level of a five or six month old, because Pokemon grow a lot faster than humans.

Basically, by the time they're two, they'll look like they're five. So they're a bit more...not so new-born-ish. Just for the record.

Yeah, that's really about it. I don't own. This is a long chapter, by the way. Be prepared. And the lyrics-ish thing that Grimwald sings is this awesomely awesome song called Shake It, by Metro Station.

You don't really know just how much I love that song. Really.)

* * *

Roger huffed in annoyance, as he left Fuschia, his newly-evolved Lucario trailing behind him. He tilted his head back, and observed the sky.

"Ru," He said, calling for the Lucario, "I need to know if Livvy is here." Rukario nodded, and closed his eyes, swinging his head back and forth.

"_I sense nothing. Is this a problem?" _The Aura Pokemon asked hesitantly. Roger stuffed his hands in his pockets, as the skirt rippled around his legs.

"Yeah." He called out Lissery, and adjusted his wig. "We're going to Saffron." Rukario sighed, and followed his master, who was already getting on his bike for Saffron City.

* * *

Somewhere near Roger, Yellow, Lance, Gold, Silver, and Crystal were speaking to a group of rejects.

Some were dark-skinned, others, struck with obvious medical and mental disorders; some couldn't even hold their misshapen heads up for more than a few moments. Others were anxiously holding the hands of their same-sex lovers, looking worried. Some with fine-boned masculine faces adjusted their skirts, and smoked their cigarettes.

"Listen to me! Listen!" Yellow called, Pika on her shoulder.

She'd changed in the last few days. The part of her that had believed in humanity was shrinking, but the part of her that believed in anarchy, however, had not. She'd grown taller, too; now, she stood at almost five foot eight.

Lance smiled quietly behind her. The audience sat, as the air hung pregnant with unrest.

"They do not listen to us! We kill, we kill in small numbers; a politician here or there, or maybe a Gym Leader every so often, but never, never have we done something like this! We cannot expect the world to turn itself to rubble by itself!" Yellow's eyes blazed.

"AND WE_ WANT_ RUBBLE! We want ashes, so we may blow them away and begin anew!" Everyone merely stared.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ROSES!?" Yellow screamed, as some began yelling in agreement.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR LOVERS?! OUR FATHERS, OUR MOTHERS, OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS!? THEY DIED FOR THIS CAUSE! DO WE NOT OWE THEM OUR LIVES AS WELL?! DO YOU BRING YOUR GUNS? DO YOU BRING YOUR GUTS?" Yellow's eyes shone with the righteous insanity common in all the heroes' eyes.

"THEN FOLLOW ME TO THE GATES OF HELL, AND FROM THERE, WE'LL ONLY DRIVE _FORWARD!" _There was quiet for a moment.

Then, and they never found out who, someone threw a rose.

With that settled, they surged forward, eager to begin the riots. And they knew exactly where they'd start.

Right here in Fuchsia.

* * *

"GOD DAMN IT, SHUT THE LITTLE FUCKERS UP!" Morgan roared, storming into the specially-built nursery.

Tristan, who was holding a squalling, week-old Damien, glared at his lover.

"Oh, behave. Don't call them fuckers, Morgan, or I'll kick you." Morgan snarled at Tristan, who just nodded in Seamus' direction.

"I don't see why _I, _the Champion of Kanto, have to feed two babies. I mean, don't we have the money for a_ nanny_?" Morgan grumbled.

"Sir, we spent all the extra money on bribing the press, keeping witnesses quiet, and PR-ing the hell out of your daughter's little escapade. No, we do not have money. Shut the hell up, and feed the kid, for chrissakes." Morgan, in a very childish move, stuck his tongue out at Tristan.

Seamus giggled, and clapped her hands together. "Baababaadadaa..." Morgan raised an eyebrow. "Is this some sort of baby-speak? Do...do they communicate at this age?" Tristan rolled his eyes.

"Did you just hand Roger off to a nanny or something until he was toilet-trained?"

"...Yes."

Tristan rolled his eyes again, rocking Damien. Sometimes, he worried that he'd exhaust his poor retinas from rolling his eyes so much.

Morgan, who had taken Seamus, sighed, and snuggled next to Tristan.

"I wanna get laid." He grumbled. Tristan raised an eyebrow.

"So you expect me to put out?" Morgan shrugged. Tristan glared.

"I'm tired a lot, okay? Do YOU want to get up in the middle of the night with these kids?" Morgan glared at Seamus, but Tristan noted the hint of amusement in his voice and eyes.

"You, little pup, are responsible for many horrible things, at such a young age." He said, throwing Seamus up in the air, as she giggled happily. "You've taken my boyfriend from me, you've ruined about five of my suits with your spit, and to top it all off, you reek. You're not very nice." He chided the small baby, who waved her arms at him.

Tristan turned his head away to hide his smile.

"Hey, Morgan?" He said, as Morgan put her back in the bassinet. He turned around, as Tristan put down Damien.

Tristan merely shoved something in his hand, and then walked away.

Morgan held it up, and raised an eyebrow.

"_My room; ten minutes." _Morgan shrugged, and then grinned evilly.

"Oho! So this is how it'll begin, hmmm?" He shoved the note in his pocket, and kissed the twins' heads before heading out of the room quickly but silently, already planning many horrible things to do to his annoying little pet.

Ten minutes later, a predatory Morgan Kent stood outside Tristan's door. He ran his fingers through his hair, and noted the front was reaching his earlobes. "I should probably trim it a bit," He muttered, "Though to be frank, Tristan's is longer than mine..."

He opened the door expectantly—

There was no one there. There were a set of handcuffs on the bed, however, Morgan noted with amusement.

Wouldn't tonight's activities be fun.

"Come on out, Tris-Tris," He said, making up a pet name on the spot. There was only silence.

Sighing, Morgan yanked his shirt off, and went over to sit on the bed. Before he lay down, he saw a flash of white. "A note?" He muttered, picking it up, and unfolding it.

"_Morgan,_

_Look behind you._

–_Tristan."_

"Well, that's stupid. I mean, why would I look behind me?" Morgan muttered. He got on the bed, and rolled his eyes. A minute passed.

/_Jesus fucking Christ, would you just look behind you already? You're killing the moment./ _Tristan grumped mentally.

A second later, Morgan turned around—and was immediately tackled, and shoved back on the bed. He panicked, and almost screamed, except a pair of lips now covered his own.

He struggled for a moment, but in his struggles, he didn't notice the handcuffs closing shut—which was exactly how Tristan had planned it.

"TRISTAN!" He roared, the second Tristan pulled away. "HELP!" Tristan rolled his eyes.

"Sir, it's me, you moron." He grumbled, flicking on the light. Morgan stared up at him for a long, long minute.

"...I swear to god I'm going to tear your ass _apart _next time." He grumbled. Tristan huffed.

"That's nice. But right now, I'm calling the shots."

'Calling the shots' apparently meant tying down Morgan's legs as well.

And the collar.

And let's not forget the weird chest-strap...thing.

"What the fuck do you have all this for?" Morgan demanded, now effectively strapped and chained and tied to the bed. Tristan shrugged.

"It's amazing, the shit you find on the black market. I actually found a diamond-encrusted dildo." He said, rummaging around in the box for a moment, before pulling out said toy.

"Jesus Christ."

"I know!" Tristan chirped.

"...Are you fucking telling me that instead of a nanny, we spent our backup money on goddamn DIAMOND-ENCRUSTED DILDOS and BONDAGE shit!? Are you serious?!" Morgan said, finally getting to the heart of the matter.

"Oooh, and cock rings. And a Hello Kitty vibrator."

"...Are you fucking serious about that last one?" Morgan said, almost laughing as a defense to the madness.

In response, Tristan held up a hot pink vibrator, with a tiny Hello Kitty shaped head on the top.

"Holy fucking shit. I mean, I know there's that rabbit-head thing, but...god damn, do they...oh my god, a HK cock ring too?!" Tristan nodded, now holding that up as well.

"...How much money did you actually spend?" Morgan asked. Tristan cocked his head to the side, as he climbed up on Morgan, straddling him.

"Uh...can we just say diamond encrusted dildos don't come cheap, and leave it at that?"

"...I will fucking kill you. I'm serious."

"Oh yeah, and the mahogany paddle. And the suede leather crop."

"You're fucking twisted." Morgan muttered.

"Yes, I am. And in about two seconds, you'll appreciate that." Tristan said, before smashing his lips into Morgan's, and viciously ravishing his mouth until his lips were bruised and mottled.

Tristan began sucking on his neck.

"Mine." He muttered, biting the small dip in between his shoulders and neck.

"Mine." He purred, sucking on Morgan's earlobe until he was assured there would be a bruise, further marking Morgan as his.

"Mine." He said, biting down on his neck, as Morgan hissed quietly.

"Tris..." He moaned softly, as Tristan grinned down at him.

/_I did tell you I wasn't going to put out just _yet, _sir.../ _He said mentally, already knowing how this would end.

He trailed his tongue slowly down Morgan's stomach, until his tongue found the tip of Morgan's throbbing member.

"You want this, don't you?" Tristan grinned, flicking the tip gently.

His only response was, "Shut up and fuck me already, I'm getting impatient."

Tristan took the tip in his mouth for an instant—before pulling away.

Morgan sputtered angrily as Tristan slipped off of him, and opened the door.

"Sorry, sir. I just don't feel like having sex right now."

He grabbed a set of keys, and the diamond-encrusted dildo, dropping them both near where Morgan could reach them with his hands.

"However...I leave you my box of toys."

With that, he departed.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH! I WILL FUCK YOU UNTIL YOU CAN'T _MOVE_ AS SOON AS I GET OUT OF THESE GODDAMNED CHAINS, DO YOU HEAR ME, YOU BASTARD!?" Morgan screamed, as Tristan's laughter resonated throughout the hallway.

"Consider it payback for making me get up with the kids, and bribe the press!" He called back.

Morgan laid his head back, and tried to ignore his aching hardon.

Easier said then done.

Seconds later, he was fumbling with the keys.

Twenty minutes later, he lay panting in bed, already exercised in many new creative ways he could enact a long, slow, torturous pleasure on Tristan.

"Oh...you want war, do you?" Morgan muttered. "Then you've_ got_ war."

And so, the war of the sex..._ing _began.

* * *

I watched, as Melia selected a Pokeball off her belt, tossing it out.

"Go, Leafeon!" Jack noted the Eeveeloution with interest.

I nodded at Santi, who stepped out on the field.

"Razor Leaf!" The girl said, as Leafeon did so, sending whirling leaves at Santi.

"Burn them through with a Flamethrower!" I called. The redhead blinked.

"You have a Charmeleon? Why?! It's not legal!" She thought for a second. "Oooh. I get it. Is he your brother's?" I shook my head.

"No. He's mine. My dad's...my dad works with the League, and they made a special exception with me." She nodded, but I don't think she believed me.

"_Imagine what'd happen if you told her that your dad was actually her boss." _Grimwald said, flicking his tail. I nodded, laughing.

"Leafeon, Magical Leaf!" These struck Santi without fail. I grumbled in annoyance. "Okay...fine. Let's get serious! Fire Fang!" Santi bit the Leafeon on the neck, and as she collapsed, Melia recalled her.

"Fine, you win that one. But this one won't be so easy! Go, Bellossom!" I raised an eyebrow at the tiny Flower Dancer Pokemon.

"...Okay...You know what, come back, Santi. Lev, you go." The Totodile, happy to be included, skipped out on the battlefield.

Apparently, Bellossom took this as a challenge.

She swung her flower-hips left, then right.

Leviathan, going along with what he thought was a game, swung his body to the left, then jumped to the right.

I raised my eyebrow. What the hell...?

"_DANCE OFF!" _Grimwald cried.

Lev moved to the left, bobbing his head. Bellossom did some sort of bumping motion to the right, and then moved one hand in a circular motion.

"_Now, Lev! If she does it like _this, _then you do it like _that! _Now if she touches like _this, _you touch her like _that! _And if she moves like _this, _you gotta move it like _THAT! _Shake shake, shake shake, a-shake it! Shake shake, shake shake a-shake it!" _Grimwald coached, down from my shoulder and now doing his own dance, which involved demonstrating all the moves he was teaching Lev.

Watching the Pachirisu dance with his invisible partner wasn't nearly half as funny as when he picked up Jack, and began dancing with him; and Jack didn't look too happy.

I snickered in amusement. Turning back to the battle, however, saw that the Bellossom was now utterly serious. Bumping and grinding, she sent out a Solarbeam that almost hit Lev, but he ducked and kicked his legs up out of the way.

With a wiggle of her hips and a shake of her hand, the Bellossom sent out a Razor Leaf. Lev wove and shook his way through the leaves. Even Melia was laughing now.

"Ice Beam!" I called, as Leviathan did so, freezing her in her tracks. "Crunch!" I called, seeing another victory for me.

Surprising us all, Lev detached Bellossom from the ice—and began dancing a tango with her. As the two twirled around the room, Bellossom giggled, and kissed a blushing Lev on the cheek.

"_She's pretty." _Lev said to me. "_Can we keep her?" _I grinned, and shook my head. "No. But if you win, I'll buy you an ice cream!"

"_YAAAAAY! ICE CREAM ICE CREAM ICE CREAM...CAKE!" _He said, chomping down on Bellossom's head.

But I noticed that as she fainted, she was still gazing fondly at Lev. Perhaps she'd finally found a worthy dance partner.

* * *

As the riots marched through Cycling Road, some broke ahead, and began running for Celadon, leaving a blazing trail of gasoline and gunpowder in their wake.

Yellow, utterly lost in the chaos she'd created, held tight to Lance as the world burned around them.

Some burst into the forests surrounding Celadon, a spare group of trees. One could see the Gym next to them, in fact.

Someone lit a match.

It had been a particularly hot few weeks.

Soon enough, the entire forest was ablaze—and had begun to reach the Gym.

* * *

I looked up from the battle. "Do you smell smoke?" I asked. Meila shrugged. "No, I don't. C'mon! You ready for my last Pokemon, or are you scared? You go, Meganium!" She called.

The Meganium I'd seen earlier moved up to the field. He strutted out there, practically daring Santi to challenge him. I called for Santi again.

The Charmeleon stood there, looking for all the world like he owned the place; trying to put a move over on Meganium. I tried not to laugh. "Use Flamethrower!" I called.

"Meganium! Frenzy Plant!" Malia called. I winced. "_SHIT! That's_ _the most powerful Grass attack there IS, isn't it?" _Grimwald said. I nodded.

"DODGE, SANTI!" I cried. The Charmeleon deftly leapt out of the way, only getting a scrape or two. Meganium was now paralyzed.

"Use Fire Blast! And quickly!" I called.

A five-plumed stream of fire spewed out of Santi's mouth, and struck Meganium.

However, about three other streams scattered, striking the Gym—which, apparently, wasn't fireproof.

As if the day couldn't get any worse, a tree that had fallen from the fires _outside _fell through the wall, effectively blocking our only way out, as fire fumed angrily from both inside and out.

I didn't move for a moment, frozen in fear.

And it wasn't until I heard Jack's wail that I heard anything at all.


	21. Losing Love, I guess I'm lost

(I'm not even going to SAY I'll update faster, because the last time that happened, I was fucked sideways by depression, and didn't update for over a month. So I think I'll just jinx it again.

I hope you like this chapter. Jack is a bit OOC, yes, but he's mondo pissed. So he just goes insane.

Also: two evolutions? /Legasp/ I know! Seriously. But Lev's reaction was so funny. I mean, that was me, watching my first evolution. "Holy shit Szeren's glowing, she's gonna die!" So...

He's a midget. Because it's CUTE. Lev wouldn't be Lev if he was, you know, eight feet tall.

I'm such a sick fuck! I abuse children's songs for disturbing gains! The riots will be described in much better, bloodier detail next chapter, since that time, Livvy will be in the thick of it. We may even see Yellow and Lance.

Besides, you think this is bad, just WAIT until the clinic scenes and the St. Jimmy scenes in Saffron. :3 /No spoilers yet!/

I took a ton of Wicked quotes in this one; that's been on my brain ever since I saw it in NYC. /Guy who played Fiyero: wicked hot. No pun intended./ Ahem. Anyways, don't own, please enjoy, feel free to shoot me for not updating. :3

Oh, and yes, I promise there will be Sex Wars in the next few chapters. Just not this one. It's all serious and stuff. /Serious face/

One last thing: name the poem I quote in this chapter, which I don't own, and...I don't know, I'll do something special for you. /shrugs/)

* * *

I sprung into action immediately, trying to find the silvery Eevee. "JACK! JACK!" I cried loudly, trying to find my way through the smoke.

Lev was putting out the fires best he could, but he was only a Totodile, and couldn't do it alone; and of course, the steam coming from the cold water hitting the flames made it harder to see.

Still, I pressed on. I had to find Jack. I had to save Jack.

Unbeknownst to me, however, Jack, Santi and Grimwald had already escaped with Malia and her Pokemon. Malia had grabbed them all, and ran out, Meganium on her heels.

I stopped, as a pillar from the gym fell on me, crushing my leg under it's weight. I was effectively trapped.

Great. That's exactly what I needed. Well, it could be worse. The pillar could be on fire.

And, because of course, the universe loved me as its newest fuck-puppet, the pillar was aflame as the flames leaped through the Gym.

God damn it.

"HELP!" I screamed. Lev was trying his hardest. "_IT WON'T STOP!" _He screamed, trying to douse it. I tried to shake free of the pillar, but I couldn't.

"PUT ALL YOUR POWER INTO IT!" I cried, trying to pull my way out. The gashes just kept piling up, and I was bleeding profusely at this point. I pressed myself against the wall, and just quietly waited to die.

"Sorry, daddy..." I muttered. "Can't beat you now, I guess..."

I lay down, and closed my eyes.

And waited.

* * *

Santi was watching outside, and saw her hand, limply pressed against the window. "_Fuck." _He muttered. He knew he had to save Olivia. But how...?

He didn't know, nor did he particularly care. He rushed back into the building, and ripped a hole in the door to reach her. The fire didn't bother him much; after all, he was a Fire-type. His kind STARTED fires like this!

She lay there, burnt and sweating, looking at the wall with glassy eyes. She, apparently, wasn't adapted for this conditions. Go figure.

He tried to pull her, but to no avail. "_Come ON, Livvy!" _She said nothing, merely kept staring. He roared. "_YOU HAVE TO LIVE!" _She merely groaned quietly, and flopped her hand a bit.

He took her, and tried to pull her.

/_It isn't working! What do I do?!/ _He thought, trying to pull her out.

/FLY/

The word came to him in a flash.

/_I can't!/ _He said, shaking his head.

/_Try./ _A voice said.

Seeing Lev would be okay for the moment, he nodded to the Totodile—and broke open the window, jumping out of it with Olivia clutching his back.

/_Might as well die if I can't fly!/ _He thought wildly for the moment.

He roared, and felt himself growing, glowing, shifting and expanding—

/_TELL THEM HOW I AM DEFYING GRAVITY/_

Santi roared, and spread his wings in flight.

/_AND NOBODY IS EVER/_

He dove down as the riots raged outside the Gym, as he roared in agony and ecstasy—

_/GONNA BRING ME/_

Pull up and fly forward...

/_DOWN/_

He set down, and roared a challenge to all who looked on. The onlookers who had come to see the burning Gym gasped, seeing this proud and mighty dragon protecting the girl on his back, and...

Defying gravity.

/_We wish we could be like you./ _Their faces whispered. /_O how we wish we had wings like you./ _

Except for one Eevee's face, that blazed with pure hatred.

* * *

The Squads came with their guns and their riot gear, attacking and killing all they could, and still the fire burned on. '

_/The ants go marching one by one/_

One woman was shot, trying to pull her Ninetales out of a broken window she was impaled on—

_/Hurrah, hurrah/_

A dark-skinned man was doused in gasoline, and hung from a tree, as the crowd of police and citizens jeered, watching the burning tree set him alight.

_/The ants go marching two by two/_

A poor, mentally disabled boy, no older than eight, was wailing, his misshapen head broken open, with the brain peeking out from under the bits of skull.

_/peekaboo-i-see-you/_

His nurse tried to save him, as the revelers, citizens who led honest and decent lives, shot them both, to put them out of their misery, honestly and decently.

_/Hurrah, hurrah/_

The police were shooting indiscriminately into the crowd, just trying to stop the burning and the broken glass. They were no better than the rioters...and the rioters were no better than them.

/_This_isthewaythe_world_**ends**notwithabangbuta_whimper_ohgodIhearit**coming**./

* * *

Back at the Headquarters, the entire Elite Four was watching the riots on the news. Morgan watched with clenched teeth, having seen the burning of Celadon's Gym.

"SIR!" Tristan gasped. "LOOK!" Since the satellite feed could only concentrate on so much, they hadn't seen the gym for a while, until—

"LIVVY! GET THE HELL OFF THAT WINDOW LEDGE!" Morgan screamed. Collins sighed.

"She...can't hear you, sir." Morgan nodded.

"I see." Morgan paused. "_...OLIVIA KENT, GET OFF THE GODDAMN WINDOW LEDGE!" _He screamed louder.

Tristan merely arched an eyebrow.

"She's...look!" Derek said, pointing at the screen.

Olivia was clutching a Charmeleon, holding onto his neck tightly, as the Charmeleon began to grow. "Holy shit," Morgan gasped, "it's evolving."

"Sir, you're just one for intelligent observations tonight, aren't you?" Tristan remarked, lighting a cigarette.

"I wish you dead." Morgan muttered. Tristan held up the cigarette.

"Wish granted."

The Charizard roared—and even on TV, the Elite Four still jumped.

"Should we go get her?" Jeremy suggested. Morgan shook his head.

"If we went out in those riots, we'd be killed. It's us they want. That's why they did this—either we go out there and get killed, or we look like cowards and failures. Damn it." Morgan sighed. "They played us like fools."

"Let's hope the public is stupid enough to believe otherwise." Tristan remarked. Morgan nodded.

"Damn, I hope so."

* * *

Olivia stared up at the stars.

"Hello. Did you come for tea?" She babbled, waving limply.

"_Get her to the hospital!" _Grimwald roared at the TV reporters. "_Are you people fucking stupid?!" _

* * *

Everyone at the Headquarters was glued to the TV, even Damien and Seamus.

"_Bzz...bzzat...We have breaking news. The girl is alive, and...well...I go to you, Sherrie." _The reporter said.

"_Thanks, Gabe. We have ah, a...an angry Pachirisu on the scene." _Tristan stared.

"Isn't that Liv's Pachirisu?" He whispered to Morgan.

"_ARE YOU DUMB FUCKERS GOING TO TAKE THIS KID TO THE HOSPITAL OR NOT?! FOR CHRIST'S SAKE, HER CLOTHES ARE ON FIRE! AT LEAST PUT THE FLAMES OUT!" _Morgan sighed.

"I bet."

* * *

They did haul her into an ambulance eventually, speeding her off to the hospital as best they could.

"_LEVIATHAN!" _Bellossom cried. "_DEAREST DARLING LEVIATHAN!" _Malia shook her head.

"He's...he's..."

There was a great crunching sound. Bellossom jumped. The door was being eaten.

"_It's not cake...not even chocolate..." _

Her eyes lit up.

The Totodile walked out of the Gym dejectedly, having had his cake denied to him. Bellossom rushed over to him, and planted a kiss on his cheek. "_Dearest darling Leviathan, are you hurt?" _He shook his head.

"_No. But...I feel all squirmy. And I'm glowing." _He said, before looking down at his arm. His eyes widened.

"_OH GOD I'M GLOWING! HELP! HELP! LIVVY, HELP ME!" _He screamed, running around like...well, a chicken with his head cut off. Or a hysterical Totodile.

Bellossom sweatdropped. "_OHGOD DEAR SWEET CHRIST I AM DYING HELP ME MEW!" _

Even when the glow faded, and he was a fully-evolved Croconaw, he still kept running around. Bellossom finally hit him with a Razor Leaf.

"_You're evolved!" _She yelled at him. Lev turned to her, and blinked.

"_I'm not dying?" _Bellossom sighed. "_No...but..." _She cast a glance at him.

"_You're very short." _Indeed, this was true. Lev was only about two-and-a-half feet tall. Croconaw were supposed to be almost five; Feraligatr, almost eight.

Lev pouted. "_Well, I guess I'm a lover, not a fighter." _Bellossom stared at him.

"_...I won't comment." _She grumbled, taking him by the hand. "_Can you still dance?" _

In response, Leviathan picked her up, and started to dance.

"_Shake shake, shake shake-a shake it!" _Grimwald said, rehashing a joke that just couldn't get old.

* * *

Jack merely stared at Santi, who had shaken the ashes off his wings. Santi blinked at him. "_Jack, hey, you're okay—" _The Eevee snarled at him, and the action, while not truly threatening, was so off-color for Jack that Santi stopped.

"_You fuck." _Jack said, spitting out a human curse word. He saw Santi flinch, and he snarled. Good. He wanted that fat worm to suffer.

"_I was going to save her. ME. But it just didn't work like that, did it? HUH!? You just had to be that big ol' hero, saves and bags the girl, everyone goes home happy!" _Santi blinked.

"_Jack, seriously, what the hell—"_

Jack screamed. "_SHE ALWAYS LIKED YOU BEST!" _Santi stopped.

"_YOU FUCKING SUCK, DO YOU HEAR ME!? YOU SUCK! SHE LOVES YOU, AND NOT ME! YOU CAN FIGHT, AND I CAN'T! SHE WANTS YOU!" _For a sick moment, Jack saw a twisted scene in his mind; Livvy with her skirt shoved up, moaning as Santi fucked her eagerly, and it just warped and mangled his hatred into a weapon he could further use.

"_So go," _Jack spat, "_fuck her or whatever, I don't care anymore. Because obviously someone so _strong _deserves her. Never mind that _I_ love her more than you ever could!" _Santi merely watched at this point, staggering surprise and puzzlement stunning him into silence.

"_I hope you all burn in hell." _He finished, before turning and running towards Fuchsia City, speeding through the riots and into the forest—where the fire was raging hardest.

Santi should've gone after him.

But he didn't.

Instead, he sighed, and wondered what it would be like for them when Livvy woke up.

* * *

I blinked, trying to block out the sunlight streaming through the window. "Oh, fuck this. We leave for, like, three days...and you end up in the hospital for, like, the third time in..." The voice stopped.

"Yo, when'd she start her journey?" The voice asked. Another spoke.

"About two months ago." The voice whistled. "Damn. Two months! Impressive record, kid!" I groaned.

"Fuck off, mister sun." I grumbled, trying to blink it out of my eyes. Then they shot open.

"Gold! Silver!" I cried, hugging them both. I winced instantly, and Silver sighed.

"Seriously?! Look at you! You're lucky you're not burned to a crisp!" He paused. "There won't be any permanent damage, though. You got that much lucky. Your leg might have a couple scars, though."

I nodded. "Okay, great. Well, and?" I looked over at the other side of the room, and raised an eyebrow.

"So..." Lev nodded. "_I evolved!" _

"I noticed." I said dryly. "And I also can't help but notice you're a midget." His eyes welled with tears.

"_Why do you say things you know will hurt me?" _He said melodramatically. I sighed.

"Okay...where's Jack?" Santi looked deeply uncomfortable. I glared at him. "Don't make me tap into your thoughts. If it comes to that, I will." Santi blinked.

"_He...he ran away. He was angry, because I saved you...and he didn't...so he ran away. Don't worry, we sent Opal after him." _I stopped short.

"Don't worry!? Don't WORRY?! My STARTER is out there, somewhere in all those riots, and you tell me not to WORRY?!" I screamed, bolting out of the room, ignoring the screaming pain in my bandaged leg, as Gold screamed, "LIVVY, DON'T! THE RIOTS ARE STILL OUT THERE!"

* * *

Opal stared in wonderment at Jack. It would all be so, so terribly easy.

"_Yes, honey," _Celeste purred, "_you can kill him." _

_..._

/_This_isthewaythe_world_**ends**notwithabangbuta_whimper_ohgodIhearit**coming**./

...

/**It's here**./


	22. In my dreams you can hide

(For starters; Lavender Town will be included in this fic. I swear. In fact, Livvy gets a new Pokemon in Lavender. /Grins/

The Sex Wars shall continue! LOL, I love this part though. Still haven't decided who's actually winning...

Bethany, Celeste, Mew, and Giratina are all a part of this fic. They're all coming in next chapter.

As for why Celeste did what she did, well, think of Mew's Pokeball as a Death Note; ownership isn't yours until you've killed the previous owner.

Everyone will kill me for this ending...I love it, though... And I won't...uh, well, I won't jinx it. But seriously. You all know what I mean.)

* * *

"So, in conclusion, we've decided—"

Creep closer forward...

"That the best thing to do about these riots is to wait it out, and—"

Stealth...lean forward...

He had those tight little pants on for this meeting. _Mmm-mm._

"Assess the damage later on—"

That tight little ass was going to be _his..._

"So as to deflect any injuries on any of us—"

Morgan pounced.

"S-sir!" Tristan gasped, currently being pinned down to the table. Morgan took out a set of handcuffs, and snapped them shut on his wrists.

"I'm stealing Tristan for awhile. Any objections?"

The rest of the bemused Elite Four shook their heads in amusement. Morgan purred.

"Fantastic." He dragged Tristan out of the room, amidst his protesting shrieks.

Collins merely shook his head, and shuffled his paperwork. "Goddamn it."

Tristan said nothing as Morgan pinned him to the bed. He nodded as Morgan bit his earlobe, and whispered into his ear, "Hold still."

But as soon as the handcuffs came off, Tristan slipped down, as Morgan murmured softly, wanting Tristan, and—

"Sorry, sir, have to finish my paperwork." He said, slinking off the bed sideways, pulling his shirt on, and hauling major ass.

Tristan ran down the hallway, screaming, "TRISTAN RAINIER _TWO_, MORGAN KENT, _ZEEERO!" _

Of course, that day was the day the Children's Pokemon School came to the Headquarters on a field trip.

Derek trudged through with a group of snot-nosed brats, hating the coin toss that had gotten him into this mess. He was getting sick of being picked for this job constantly.

"Yes, and here we oversee the paperwork necessary for you all to become Trainers, and—" Tristan ran past, as Morgan screamed back, "THIS ISN'T OVER YET!"

Tristan, of course, in his mad dash, didn't think to put pants on.

Oh, Derek was going to kill them both. Cheerfully.

"TRISTAN RAINIER!" He roared, as the stunned stares of the teachers and children gaped at him, "PUT YOUR _GOD DAMN _PANTS ON!"

* * *

"_YOU IDIOT!" Mew screamed at Giratina. "YOU ACTUALLY LET HER GO?!" _

_The picture of the foot-long goddess berating a mile-long Death god was actually amusing, but for the deadly serious look on Mew's adorable kitten face._

_Giratina shrunk under the gaze of his pissed off Queen. "Forgive me...I didn't think...she could open any of the portals...no one ever makes it out of Turnback Cave alive!" Mew frowned._

"_Or dead, in this case." She grumbled. "She doesn't have corporeal form, does she?" Giratina shook his head._

"_No...she's merely a spirit, but Opal can hear her and see her...shit." He muttered. "What do we do now?" He looked at Mew, who merely shrugged._

"_Send another spirit after her, most likely. But who would go through Turnback Cave?" Giratina blinked._

"_I...don't...wait." He said. "This Eevee is Olivia Kent's, correct?" Mew nodded. Giratina turned, and soared through the Torn World. "Then I'll go find her mother."_

_Bethany Moore was sitting on the edge of one of the cliffs, waiting for another to shift so she could drop down. It was the most lovely feeling of freefall. _

_She saw one align with her cliff, and she pushed off—only to fall on Giratina's back._

"_Lord." She greeted him calmly. Giratina was almost amused at her total lack of fear. "Hm. Bethany Moore, I need you to save your daughter." _

_Her eyes shot open. "Livvy...oh, she's alive!? And..." _

"_In a load of shit now, if you'll pardon the expression. Come. I'll be your guide. We will go through Turnback Cave, and into the Living Realms...trust me, Bethany, and we'll fly..." She nodded, focused only on the daughter she'd merely dreamed of, as they sped through the Torn World to the Turnback Cave._

* * *

Olivia screamed, voice hoarse and raspy by this point, as another bit of gunshot flew her way. Fighting through this sea of dead bodies and living people was out of her worst nightmare.

One woman clawed at her arm, pleading, "Please...I'm dying...I need help..." Olivia wasn't sure whether she had dreamed it or not, because seconds later, time shifted, and she was staring down at a corpse—

/_And they all go marching down/_

She put her hands over here ears, and began screaming. "STOP!" She roared at the revelers. "PLEASE!"

Only the thud of a few more dead bodies answered her. She was crying again, and trying to step over a corpse. She failed, and slipped on the blood still slick on it, falling face down into the dead man's chest.

Her screams were muffled for a minute, as she frantically dug her way out of the body, fingernails shredded and bleeding, ripped down to the quick; however, that was the least of her worries.

/_To the ground.../_

"WILL SOMEONE JUST BURY THESE GODDAMN CORPSES!?" She cried, as what she said just struck her.

"But...but...everyone's dead! So they can't...but I'm just..._dying _for these people to do it!"

Finding it hysterically funny, she sat down in a puddle of blood, and began shaking with laughter.

/_To get out...of the rain.../_

"B-but it's not...haaahaaa..rain..ing...haahaaa..." She cackled, rocking back and forth.

/_Boom boom/_

Guns kept firing, and one bullet grazed her shoulder, missing her neck only because she'd leaned back in laughter. The bullet still had some of her skin on it as it clattered to the ground.

/_Boom boom boom!/ _

One hit the man who'd been next to her, and as he flopped down on her, Olivia just kept laughing.

* * *

Morgan sighed, and flopped down on the bed. The hell with it, he was going to get Tristan someday...even if he had to chain him to the bed while he slept...

Morgan laughed quietly. Actually, that wasn't a bad idea...He decided to file it away for future use.

He turned on the TV, and immediately winced. Every station seemed to be covering the riots. Damn it, couldn't he get a break every so often!? He dealt with this shit as a living! Couldn't he watch a soap opera in peace!?

"_Bzzat—riots spreading to Saffron—zzat—cities of Celadon and Saffron so far the most affected—no word on Fuschia's status—satellite feed—" _

Livvy was on camera, laughing hysterically, tears streaming down her cheeks as she clawed at her neck, with a dead body on her lap.

/_God damn it, not this again./ _Morgan winced that these were his first thoughts, but...well, hey, it was true.

Morgan silently turned the TV off. He pushed the alarm button, summoning every one to the meeting room in two minutes.

"We're going into those riots." He merely said. Tristan blinked, having put his pants on and joined them.

"Why?" He asked, brushing hair out of his eyes. Morgan snickered to himself, as he grabbed his Pokeball belt.

"Because my daughter just couldn't stay in the goddamn hospital."

For the sake of his daughter, he felt slightly insulted that everyone seemed to have been expecting that.

* * *

After a bit of planning, it was decided Derek and Collins, having the most medical knowledge, would try to pull bodies out of the riots, while Jeremy and his Ursaring would try to scare everyone out of the burning cities and into the town house in the Route near Celadon and Saffron; it had been unharmed in the forest and cities' wreckage.

Morgan, of course, just flew out on Pidgeot to find his kid. Sighing, Tristan had gone with him to insure the idiot wouldn't get shot. For, like, the tenth time.

* * *

"Yellow..." Lance whispered softly. "Is this really what you wanted?" He asked softly, as he watched the expression on her face.

"Burn it down and start anew." She murmured softly. She turned to him, tears in her eyes, "but Lance..." She wept. "People keep _dying..." _

Even as he soothed her, he hated her, because really...Olivia would've been a better leader.

One who didn't light the world on fire to prove her point. One who wanted words, not chaos. Anarchy—lack of leaders...not chaos—lack of decorum...

Those who reject power are often best for the job. Which was good for them...but caused problems for the rest of the world.

Lance merely sighed, and lit a cigarette on a charred and smoking corpse.

_/Well, these riots had their uses after all./_

And as soon as he thought of that, Lance began laughing.

* * *

Olivia could see the edge of the burning forest. "JACK! JACK, DON'T WORRY, I'M COMING!" She screamed, as she dragged her foot out from under something that could've been either a dead Primeape or a lump of charred flesh, she wasn't sure...

She crawled at this point, as the smoke poured out of the forest, flames leaping around her, and—

"YOUNG LADY, YOU STAY THE _HELL _AWAY FROM THERE!" A shriek cut through the air.

"_Thank god we found you!" _Grimwald grumbled, sitting on Pidgeot's head. "_That twit ran off without even taking Santi for flight...I swear, kids these days..." _

Olivia looked up. "Daddy?" She whispered. Pidgeot and Santi dove down, and she pointed at the flames. "Daddy, I have to find Jack..." Morgan picked her up, and shook his bleeding and bruised daughter.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" He roared. "YOU JUMP OFF A WINDOW LEDGE, ESCAPE FROM THE HOSPITAL, AND TO TOP IT OFF, YOU ALMOST GOT _ME _KILLED! WHAT IN GOD'S NAME COMPELLED YOU TO DO _THAT!?" _Tristan rolled his eyes.

"So humble. So self-sacrificing. That's our Champion!" He mocked. Morgan snarled at him.

Overtaken by the scene, Livvy began laughing again, sagged against Morgan's body. The two men raised their eyebrows.

"Well, on one hand, we could take her back to the hospital and heal her, getting her out of the riots..." Morgan started.

"Or, on the other, we could go save Jack in a blaze of fiery glory, probably dying in the process..." Tristan finished.

There was a pause.

"Right!" Morgan said, as he urged Livvy onto Santi. "Death and fiery glory it is!" Lev and Grimwald cheered.

"_TALLY-HOOOOO!" _Grimwald cried, as he climbed back on Pidgeot.

"So much for good parenting." Tristan muttered, as he went onto Santi to steady Olivia and ensure her safety.

Livvy was still laughing as they rose up into the air.

* * *

"Sir, you're enjoying this waaay too much now." Tristan grumbled, as Morgan rode on Pidgeot, singing "We're off to see the Wizard..." over and over and over, until Tristan wondered if adrenaline had burst his frontal lobe.

"Death or glory!" Morgan announced boomingly. "We'll save Jack, and diiie...in a blaaaze of fireeey glory!" Livvy grumbled.

"I don't wanna die." Morgan grinned.

"Happens to everyone, dearest." Olivia rolled her eyes.

"Daddy, Tristan's right. You _are _enjoying this way too much." Morgan nodded, but shrugged.

"Why not? If we're fighting, we might as well enjoy what we do."

Livvy stopped, suddenly having an epiphany.

"...Wise words from someone who was singing children's songs a minute ago." Tristan grumbled, shaking Livvy out of it.

"...We fight...to enjoy fighting..." She mused, thinking about it.

Would it be wrong to enjoy the rush of fighting, of glory, of _being? _Of living and taking lives?

She decided it wasn't important right now. What was important was Jack.

"We're approaching Fuschia, Liv. Santi, are you sure he ran off this way?" The Charizard nodded, and Tristan sighed.

"Well, since the rioters left this place in a hurry, it's less charred. Perhaps they didn't want to damage the Safari Zone." He shrugged.

Olivia sat, listening. "JACK! CALL FOR ME IF YOU CAN!" She suddenly yelled, voice flying away on the wind. Everyone was silent for a moment.

Then a Translator buzzed. "_LLLIIIIIVVVVVY!" _The voice screamed. Olivia gasped.

"HANG ON, JACK!" She screamed, as Santi dove down, growling, "_The sound came from the Safari Zone!" _Olivia leapt over the burnt fences bordering the Zone, rushing into the glade.

* * *

In any other place, in any other situation, it would've looked beautiful. The lake surrounding it was shimmering silver under the moonlight, and the grass whispered secret songs in its' blades.

The Pokemon were gone; a true rarity for the Safari Zone. They'd smelled the unnatural death in this area, and wanted none of it. They ran away from the ghosts of the past, they that lived in the present.

"Opal!" Olivia cried in relief. "You're here! Did you get Jack?" Opal was clutching his head, and shaking, biting his lips as blood ran down his chin.

"No mommy, I don't wanna." He murmured, sounding like a child confronted with the idea of vegetables for dinner. "No mommy! He's Livvy's!"

Olivia blinked. "Opal, Opal...what are you talking about?" She whispered.

"_DO IT, OPAL! DO IT FOR MOMMY!" _Olivia looked around. "Who...who's there? Opal! YOU SAID YOUR MOM WAS DEAD!"

As most people do when they come face-to-face with Death, Olivia knew immediately what it was, and denied it.

/_O I believe in spooks o I do I do believe in spooks/_

The hazy, silvery form of a woman she'd never seen before formed and re-formed in the moonlight. The moon was a full, pregnant harvest moon, and the warm orangey-silver glow seemed...wrong, somehow...

/_Do you believe in spooks oh I do I do believe in spooks/_

"You said." Livvy whispered in horror. "_You said she was dead." _

Celeste Trent gave a lazy smile.

"_Death is such an easy road to cross, kid. Remember that." _

With that, she sucked Opal's hand up in her own, and, real hand still clutching the knife, she drove it down into the silvery Eevee's body.

/_Do you believe in spooks oh I do./ _

Olivia's screams rent the night in two.


	23. And every night I'm gonna bring you back

(So...good things happen, bad things happen, and remember, I did promise angsty Tristan/Morgan, so yeah...

I can't promise no one dies...I really can't...but I love Tristan and Morgan intensely, and will do my best to keep them alive...I don't know how I can, though...

See, we DID make it to Lavender Tower! Goody for us!

And yes, I did totally once again defy conventional physics. For fuck's sake, it's a world where pieces of METAL magically control creatures that spit fire and release clouds of poison and where deities are controlled and defeated by ten year old kids. So I fucking concede that I get to screw with physics as well.

Oh look, another miserable ending. I've GOT to stop doing that.

Don't own.)

* * *

Jack screamed, blood spurting out in a fountain, as Opal turned to his mother. "WHAT DID YOU DO!?" He screamed at her. Celeste fumbled for the Pokeball.

"_YEEESSS! IT'S MIIIINE! MIIINE! MIIINE!" _She roared.

Olivia watched as she dove towards it, and screamed. "NO! NOOO!" She roared, diving for the Eevee's spasm-racked body. "YOU CAN'T TOUCH HIM!" She grabbed Jack, and pulled him tighter to her own body, as the blood dribbled down her chest and pooled in her lap.

Celeste turned to her, and snarled. "_You little _cunt. _It is mine." _She snarled at Olivia, and dove at her, not even caring she couldn't really touch her, and—

"_NO." _A single voice that trembled with pure rage.

Morgan's eyes shot open. "B-bethany?" Tears sprung to his eyes. "Oh, god."

The warrior-woman stood defiantly in front of her daughter, stopping Celeste. Her brown hair flashed silver, and her eyes glinted with a contained fire ready to unleash for her daughter's sake. Olivia stared up in awe. "Mommy?" She whispered softly. "Mommy, is it really you?" Bethany stood firm.

"_Celeste Trent, for shame." _She snarled quietly. "_A child? Isn't this what you renounced? Killing children like you did so long ago, washing walls with their blood?" _Celeste openly snarled at her, face twisted by rage.

"_The Pokeball is mine. It's all mine_. I_ caught her. What did that Eevee do to deserve it?" _Bethany turned around. Olivia sobbed openly, holding the Eevee in her arms.

"Jack...Jack, Useless...don't go...Useless...JAAAACK!" She screamed at the Eevee. "PLEASE!" The Eevee opened one beautiful silver eye.

"_I love you...Livvy. It's okay...I'm sorry...I wasn't stronger..." _Olivia shook her head.

"NO! No, you were strong...you _are _strong...oh, Jack...I love you too...Useless..." Her breath gave out, as she gasped, "_don't leave me."_ The Eevee smiled.

"_Goodbye, Livvy...I promise to get stronger in the afterlife..." _He shuddered quietly.

"NO! NO NO NO! YOU CAN GET STRONGER _HERE! _STAY WITH ME! _STAY WITH ME_!" She roared, but it was too late.

The Eevee, her companion, her starter, her best friend...her...her...lover...had died. All the love in the world couldn't have saved him.

* * *

Olivia turned to Celeste with pure hatred in her eyes. "_You bitch." _Her voice was a lion's roar, and she yanked the knife out of Jack's still body, and held it to Opal's neck, holding the hysterical boy in a grip.

"Should I kill him then, you bitch? Should I make _his _blood sing?" Opal's eyes became wide and terrified.

"Livvy, no! It's me! Opal! Please don't...don't..." Bethany put a cool hand on Livvy's shoulder.

"_It would solve nothing. Let him go, sweetie." _Olivia's eyes were crazed still, but she put the knife down.

"He's _dead, _mommy...it's not fair..." She wept openly. The moon still glimmered, and the ghosts stood there, each defending their own child.

"_Eh? What's all this, then?" _A pink kitten floated out into the clearing. Mew blinked. "_What...hey, Liv. What's wrong?" _Olivia wordlessly gestured at Jack.

Mew appeared calm. "_Aah. He's with Giratina, then. Don't worry, kid..." _Mew grinned. "_I think the god of Death should know what he's doing." _

* * *

Jack looked up at the titanic Death god, and blinked. "_Sir? Do I get to go home now?" _He asked. Giratina chuckled, and shook his head.

"_No...but I must say...you're a very strange case, young one." _Giratina looked out at the Wall of Destiny, adjoining to the Wall of Remembrance.

"_You were destined to be the pet of a rich little girl, and become a Glaceon. But that girl, Olivia...she interrupted that destiny. It's quite easy to interrupt destiny, actually. Most people corrupt their own destinies at least once. She came and took you away from the Lab, and her angered fueled your desire to _be_. To serve her. You wanted her acceptance." _Giratina looked away.

"_She was cold to you. She hated you. But you knew...underneath that...she just wanted to work with you. To prove herself, and to make you work as well as she could. You pressed on, doing the best you could to protect her, and she in kind protected you." _Giratina looked up at the sky.

"_This is a place of endless night. The sun does not shine here; it has no need to. So, young one...I'm afraid there is no turning back from here." _Giratina sighed.

"_You are one of the Darkness now. You can never leave it, because now...it is a part of you. You, young one...for being only a scant amount of age, have managed to corrupt your destiny utterly." _Giratina's eyes glinted in amusement.

"_I have to respect that. And perhaps..." _Giratina charged up an Aura Sphere. "_Well, who's to say you can't corrupt your destiny any more?" _He fired the condensed energy at Jack, who instinctively dodged, and fired off a Shadow Ball.

"_Embrace the Darkness, little one. Corrupt your being, and become." _Giratina whispered.

Jack began glowing, and he knew inside him he needed to get away.

"_Run! Run, young one, run away from the Torn World, and run back! Leave this place! HURRY, WHILE THE POWER IS AT IT'S MOST POTENT!" _Giratina roared, as Jack fled, paws elongating as he sprinted through the Torn World, glowing and shining, as the light faded and he became Darkness, he became—

* * *

"BETHANY!" Morgan screamed, interrupting Olivia's sobs, rushing over. She looked back. "_Steven?" _He shook his head.

"Well, Morgan, technically, but...oh, darling..." Olivia looked up. "This is mommy?" She said, as her voice filled with misery. Morgan nodded, and reached a hand up to her silvery cheek. "Yes...oh, yes..."

Tristan watched quietly with tears in his eyes.

Celeste, in the chaos, possessed Opal again, and grabbed the Pokeball. "_Idiots." _She spat, as she pressed the button to summon Mew's power—

Nothing happened. She snarled. "_What the fuck is this!!?" _Olivia gasped slowly, as Jack's body twitched, and began glowing. Mew grinned.

"_Death knows _exactly _what to do." _

He was one of the Darkness now...but Darkness needs to take its' rightful place in the world, even so...bringing Shadow to Light and proving there can be good as well as evil, as well as both...

"JACK!" Olivia screamed as the glow faded away slowly. He had evolved...

Into the Darkness.

Into an Umbreon.

"JAAAAAACK!" She screamed, and the Eevee-turned-Umbreon looked up. "_Livvy?_" She screamed in happiness, and tackled him, burying herself in his fur, and laughing.

"Oh, _Useless..._" She sighed blissfully. "You're okay..." Jack wagged his tail.

"_Look, I'm stronger!" _He cried. Olivia shook her head.

"You're alive. That is all that matters right now." She kissed his forehead, as he purred and nuzzled her.

"_You bitch." _Celeste spat. Bethany almost laughed.

"_I know. She takes after her mother." _Olivia and Morgan both swelled up with pride. Jack turned to her.

"_I am Darkness. I take you away from Light. You don't deserve to be here." _He spat, fur puffing up, azure rings glowing fiercely. Opal's eyes widened.

"_NOOO DON'T TAKE MOMMY, NOOOOO—" _Jack fired a Shadow Ball at her, and she dissipated, leaving the world, and escaping to the afterlife.

"MOOOMMMMY!" Opal roared, trying to follow her. He looked around, and saw she wasn't there. His eyes shattered, and Olivia looked away with a sick knowledge, as she saw sanity flee his eyes, and Insanity take its' place.

"Kill me." He pleaded, turning to Olivia. She paused. His eyes filled with tears. Olivia felt a twinge of sadness. He had deserved so much better.

"Please, Livvy. I love you...wouldn't you do this for me? Your friend?" He pleaded woefully, taking the knife he'd used to kill Jack and putting it in her hands.

"_Let him go. He's been tainted by her forever. Only Death could save him, redeem him, only escaping from the world will heal him. Do it, Livvy." _Bethany advised. Olivia shook her head.

"But...but...there's always the chance to build up! To become something new! To be!" She cried, trembling like a small leaf in a typhoon. Bethany shook her head.

"_Only...well, sweetie...he's lost the part that made him. His mother was his life. He built himself in her image, and now that the person is gone, the mirror is left empty..." _Bethany sighed.

"_It would be a kindness. The mirror cannot retain another image." _Amai shook her head.

"_No." _The Espeon said. "_No, he's mine." _Bethany stared at her. Amai stared back. "_Please." _The Espeon's voice was full of pleading. Bethany laid a hand on her head.

"_Little psychic one, you know what I say is true. I'm sorry. I truly am." _Amai turned to her, and nodded.

Slowly, she stalked over to Opal, and put a paw on his leg. "_Opal?" _She mewled. "_I love you." _Opal looked at her, and smiled, taking her into his arms and pulling her toward him, being for one second only lucid, to say what he had to say—

"_I love you too, Amai." _

Olivia shed not a single tear as she shoved the blade through the Espeon and into Opal's heart.

It wasn't until she saw her mother, smiling at her, knowing that _she'd done the right thing_, that she started to cry.

* * *

Her mother held her as best she could as Olivia sobbed, turning to Morgan as the tears quieted.

"_Morgan? Morgan, what are you..." _She saw Tristan and Morgan. She pointed to Tristan. "_Who is he?" _Morgan's eyes filled with tears, and he gave a strangled sob before turning away, running off deeper into the woods.

Tristan met Bethany's eyes. She smiled. "_I see. Good for him, he found someone else to love." _Tristan sighed with relief at her acceptance.

"Right...I should go find him...before you go, I figure he should say goodbye..." Tristan ran off into the trees, going to find Morgan.

Jack turned to Santi. "_I..." _Santi shook his head. _"I understand...I know you wanted strength..." _Santi turned to him. "_But will you truly get it, Jack? Because I'm not sure if anyone can answer that question but you." _Jack's rings glowed blue for a single moment.

"_I understand." _Olivia watched the exchange quietly, looking away.

"_Look! I evolved! LOOK AT ME! I'M MORE SPECIALER!" _Leviathan interjected. "_I AM! I have bigger teeth than Jack does, right? Livvy, look at ME! ME ME ME!" _Livvy rolled her eyes.

"Yes Lev, we know you evolved." Her tone was light, as Grimwald poked him with his tail. "_Evidently evolving didn't help your height."_

Lev bit him harshly, as Grimwald shocked him. The two crashed to the ground, both still frazzled. Olivia merely raised an eyebrow, and scratched behind Jack's ears.

* * *

Tristan rushed through the undergrowth, and found Morgan, sitting there quietly, staring into the surface of the water. Dratini no longer than Morgan's arm frolicked under the water, creating tiny spirals around and about through the water, making tiny humming noises as they did so. Tristan had to admit it was rather pretty.

"Honey?" He called out, watching Morgan flinch.

"Don't...don't, Tristan." His tone was cold, the ice holding back a river of tears. Tristan froze.

"Sir? Sir, please tell me what's wrong...come back. Bethany wants to say goodbye." Morgan snapped his head in Tristan's direction.

"She hates me." His voice was full of fear and misery. "She hates me because I'm with _you." _Tristan shook his head.

"She doesn't, at all! She's glad you've found someone to love...she's glad you're happy again...Morgan, please, sir..." Tristan looked at the man, whose eyes were soft, yielding...he just didn't know what to do any more.

So Tristan had to say it. He hadn't...hadn't had the courage before, could've pretended this was a dream, and he would wake up soon, but he needed to say it before Morgan was lost to him forever...

"Sir...Morgan? I love you." He said it before he could stop himself, the words finally breaking free as they'd wanted to do for so long, as Tristan shed a single tear in happiness. Morgan finally knew.

"I love you. But I loved her first." Morgan said quietly, before walking away.

Tristan watched him go, and said nothing as he walked away.

His heart shattered, cut his insides open, and as the blood froze in his veins, he spoke one sentence.

"Well, then that explains a thing or two."

He called out Gliscor, and ordered, "Take me to Lavender Radio Tower, please..."

* * *

Olivia saw her daddy come back, and take Bethany's hand as best he could. She knew to let them be, and decided to head into Fuchsia, to see if there was any food left over. She hadn't eaten for almost a day and a half now.

In the tiny kitchen in the Pokemon Center, a half-hour later, full of food and drink, she turned on the TV to see if there was news on the riots.

"Hey...what's Tristan doing on TV?" She said in shock, wondering how he'd gotten there.

"_Good evening, citizens of Kanto. As you know...my name is Tristan Rainier...and I..." _Olivia's eyes widened.

"_Am an admitted homosexual." _

Morgan, who'd been standing in the doorway, screamed in unison with Olivia as the TV turned to static.


	24. Where are your guts to fly?

(Oh look, an update! Yay!

Next chapter—there will be drama. And probably blood. Most likely blood. Not much to say here. Yes, the creature's identity will be revealed next chapter as well. Yes, there will be a backlash against Tristan. Annnd...that's really all I have to say. Don't own.)

* * *

There was an aching silence.

"_Morgan, you jackass." _Bethany stood in the doorway, looking none too happy. Morgan stared in horror at the television. The static crackled cheerfully at him, fizzing out occasionally, almost as if it was blinking at him.

"They'll kill him. I have to save him." He rushed outside, screaming for Pidgeot. Olivia nodded at Jack, and they followed after.

"_I thought you didn't love him?" _Bethany said coolly. Morgan turned to her, and stopped. Bethany stared back at him, disappointment in her eyes as clear as snow. Morgan bit his lip.

"I...but...I loved you first..." Bethany's eyes softened.

"_Morgan...I'm actually so glad you found him. I really am. Because I love you too, and I want to see you happy. Please don't be miserable forever on my account." _She took his head into her silvery, translucent hands.

Morgan's eyes shone with tears. "But...I betrayed you. I love someone else now..." Bethany huffed, and smiled.

"_It's not a betrayal. Please. Be happy. At least, in my memory, if nothing else. Please. Go find him, and save him. If you can still love him, Morgan..." _Morgan nodded.

"I can." Bethany smiled.

"_Then keep loving. It's the greatest gift you could give me...or him. I love you, Morgan." _He hugged her one last time, and they stood there, perfect and infinite.

"And I love you, Bethany."

She faded away still in his arms, and Morgan closed his eyes, smiling.

"Daddy?" Olivia said, poking him in the shoulder. Morgan looked down at his daughter—and for an instant, saw Bethany, smiling back at him. He didn't falter from her gaze, but willed the tears not to fall. It would only cause her worry.

"Mm?" Olivia pointed to the bodies of Opal and Amai.

"I want to give them a proper burial."

* * *

"Father?" One of the girls asked softly. Jimmy turned to her.

"Yes, my child?" She shuffled her feet. The rest of the group looked nervous as well.

"One of those Elite Four members...is a homosexual. What...what should we do?" Jimmy's eyes lit up. He patted the girl on her head, ruffling her hair with an amused grin. The girl giggled at his touch.

"Now, now, Eden, we shall do as the Lord taught us. We will redeem him in the eyes of the Unknown God, who is great and powerful." Eden nodded slowly.

"Yes, Saint Jimmy. For by your healing grace, the Unknown God will redeem the fallen fornicator." The children chorused. Their eyes shone with delight, as they stood there in their white cloaks. Jimmy smiled, and scratched behind the ear of his sleeping Marowak.

The Bonekeeper snuffed, and rolled in his sleep. Jimmy laughed softly to himself for an instant.

"Good, good...now...we must spread the word."

* * *

Tristan had been thrown in a holding cell in Lavender almost immediately. Frankly, he wasn't surprised, nor did he care. He curled up in the corner, and prayed for death. He just didn't care anymore. He didn't want to live...if Morgan hated him...Morgan...

Tristan drew in a shuddering breath.

He'd been a young, naive Trainer with his Ivysaur a few years back—he'd been how old? Twenty? Twenty-two?

He wanted to remember Morgan as he'd seen him so long ago...so...

He curled up and dreamed of days gone by.

* * *

_He'd grown up around Pokemon, and been a Trainer as soon as it became legal. He loved the idea of battling with the Pokemon he'd considered friends all throughout his childhood. _

_He never made it past round one of the Championship matches, but it didn't matter to him. He spent five years traveling around Kanto, exploring every inch of it with reckless abandon, traveling with his Pokemon like he'd always dreamed._

_And Morgan had been a hot-blooded Rebel, back then. He was only about twenty when Tristan was fifteen, and Tristan idolized him, hearing tales of his fight against all those League officials with his Arcanine and Gengar. _

_However, one day, Morgan had been trapped by seven Officials. One had a Tyranitar that made quick work of both Gengar and Arcanine. He'd been trapped, and they were moving in to kill him, when Tristan happened to be in the same area of the Viridian Forest. _

"_Ivysaur! Razor Leaf!" He called, as the plant Pokemon sent out razor-sharp leaves that cut away at the men's hands. He called out his Houndour, and called, "Use Ember!" _

_He spat glowing sparks at the men, who retreated, burnt and bleeding, as Tristan congratulated both his Pokemon._

_He looked up, only to find Morgan standing over him. The two of them stood there, staring at each other for a moment, until Morgan broke the contact. He sized Tristan up—and smiled._

"_Well," he'd said with an air of amusement, "not bad. But you need to perfect your Pokemon's technique." _

_With that, Tristan took his hand, and was pulled up to stand again. Tristan looked at him, and asked, "Well?" Morgan caught his eye. _

"_Aah. You want to come with me, then?" Tristan blushed, and nodded. Morgan gave him a lazy smile._

"_Well, then don't just stand there; I have to report back to the headquarters in a few minutes." And, dragging him along like a child's toy, he brought Tristan back to the Resistance Order's headquarters. _

_They'd worked side-by-side whenever they could. They were a team—even the other Rebels had to agree._

_And then Bethany came. _

_Tristan felt no attraction for her outside friendship; but Morgan fell for her fast and hard. Tristan said nothing as his mentor slowly drifted away, spending more time with Bethany than him. _

_He said nothing as Morgan announced his fiancée was pregnant, and he continued his silence when she died, though on the inside, rejoicing. Morgan was all his now. _

_This was true. This was utterly true. Morgan clung to him like a baby clings to its' mother for hours at a time, sobbing as Tristan stroked his hair. _

_When Morgan left Johto for Kanto, he took Tristan with him. He told him to wait in Viridian, and Tristan did. He waited for Morgan, and he didn't stop him, though some part of him knew what he was going to do. _

_Morgan came back with blood on his hands, and a large grin plastered across his face._

"_Come, Tristan. We have to get to the Champion's suite now." _

_Soon after, Tristan was named as a member of the Elite Four._

_Tristan wryly admitted to the others that he was basically Morgan's dog. But the leash worked both ways, and he didn't mind the collar in the slightest._

_Morgan talked of Bethany, but less often. What worried him more was his child. Had she lived? Had she died a slow death, gasping for air as a newborn, slowly starving without a mother?_

_Tristan didn't know the child had lived. But the second he'd seen Livvy, he knew. And yet...he didn't mind that she had. _

_Because, even though she was a reminder of Bethany and Morgan's relationship...he did love her, as much as he loved her father. _

_But Morgan..._

Tristan awoke with a sob.

But _Morgan..._

* * *

Morgan burst through the doors of the Radio Tower, and shrieked. "WHERE IS HE!?" The Director's head snapped up.

"Oh, sir! Yes, I know...it's waiting for you on the top floor. We held it—"

Morgan shoved the Director up against the wall, and snarled. "_He _is not an it. Now let me pass." He shoved his way past the guard, Livvy hot on his heels as he thundered up the steps three at a time, screaming, "TRISTAN! TRISTAN!"

Tristan looked up. Morgan's voice...

He sighed. Must be a dream. There is no way he would come and find him—

The door flew open, and the next thing he knew, he was being pulled into a hug while being screamed at. "You _imbecile." _Morgan spat. "Do you understand I have to PR the _hell _out of this?! Again!?"

Tristan pushed away from him, and shook his head. "You said you didn't love me." He accused, standing his ground. Morgan shook his head.

"Tristan...I...I thought I was betraying Bethany...but...I...I do love you. I really do. I need to be happy, and I need to be with you. Please forgive me...You're one of the only people I can trust, Tristan...please..." The black-haired man stared at him. Morgan's eyes shone with tears.

"They'll hate you." Tristan said softly. "They'll call for my death. All those churches that supported you...they'll be gone. They'll call for your resignation—" Morgan laughed, giving Tristan a lazily arrogant smile.

"I'm the motherfuckin' Champion of Kanto. I can do anything I damn well want to." Tristan caught his eyes again. Morgan meant every word.

"I am not bowing to the collective people if what the people want is hate. I never was for the _people, _Tristan—I was for the cause of what I believe to be right. It's as simple as that. The people aren't always right, you know." He said softly.

"You're...not...oh, _Morgan!" _Tristan wailed, rushing towards him and collapsing into his arms, sobbing hysterically. Morgan nodded to Olivia, who saluted him with an amused smile, and went back down the steps to where the bodies lay.

* * *

She looked down at Opal's still form, and knelt down, and as she heard the sound of the riots, still blazing in Celadon, she brushed her lips against his, as she picked his body up and walked to the Graveyard.

She hummed quietly as she set the body down, Jack gently putting down Amai's. Even quieter still, she dug the hole, shifting hands occasionally to ward off blisters, and stopping every so often until they'd reached about six feet. With a small sigh, she set both of their bodies in the hole gently, piling the dirt over the site as she knelt down.

A small white stone was lying on the ground, and as the sun rose, it caught the light and shone. Livvy smiled, and picked it up, examining it for a minute. It was perfect. It was a full circle, clear and unbroken.

"Rest in peace, Opal. You too, Amai." She whispered, before setting the stone down on the freshly-churned earth. It lay there, a small white dot on the cake-like earth. Jack wagged his tail just once, before bowing his head.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. "If it had been different...if there had been any other way..." She sighed. What was done was done.

She didn't know where his other Pokemon were. Probably ran off somewhere. Okay. Well, at least...the two of them had peace.

She beckoned to her Pokemon, and together, they walked out of the Graveyard and didn't look back.

* * *

The small creature poked her head out of the pile of bones. "_Mommy?" _It squeaked.

Making up her mind, the thing toddled right after Olivia, bone still clutched in her hand.

"Where to now?" Morgan asked. Olivia sighed.

"I guess to Saffron. If the Gym's still intact...I need the Badge. And I think Fuchsia's going to be out of commission for a bit." Morgan snapped his fingers.

"Oh, right! Malia asked for me to give this to you." He pressed the badge into her hands, and Olivia sighed with relief.

"Four down, four to go." She grumbled softly, before putting in her pocket. She paused.

"Daddy?" He looked at her, and he saw resignation in her eyes.

"Princess?" He asked, trying not to betray worry in his tone. She sighed.

"Daddy...if this is the last time I see you or Tristan...I love you both." Morgan knew exactly what she was worried about. He sighed.

"I haven't been the best father to you, Livs. But...I promise you..." He pulled her into as firm a hug as he could manage. "I won't leave you. After all this... Only death could make me leave."

Olivia wound her arms around him, and whispered softly, "That's what I'm afraid of."

They turned away, and Livvy heard them leave. She turned back, and screamed, "I LOVE YOU, DADDY!" To the rising wind.

There was a pause. And then the wind carried back, "Forever, princess!"

Livvy shed a few tears, but said nothing until she turned back to her Pokemon.

"To Saffron?" She queried. They all paused—and nodded.

"_To Saffron." _

With the little creature still following behind, they turned to the sun, rising defiantly overhead, and walked right into the rising dawn.


	25. Soaring through the night

(It's a short chapter, yah. I know, I know, I know. I ALWAYS get like this before a whoah major arc, and I have a LIFE now, so I update less. ALSO, it's the holidays. /Sighs/ Well, no excuses. /Laughs/ In exchange, the next five or so chapters will be EPICAL TO THE EXTREME. /Nods/

Yeah, that's the 'creature'. Okay, moving on...not much to say...I don't mean to offend any specific religion; I intend to scrutinize all of them. Fair?

I don't own Pokemon.)

* * *

The dull-eyed child stood on the street, three other children behind her. The towers of Saffron rose into the sky, providing the trees with competition. The people swirled by them unawares, until the girl handed them a flyer.

The man took the flyer, flipped through it, and nodded at them, before walking off into the chaos of the city, disappearing into the crowd.

"In the name of the Unknown God," they chanted, voices dull and bland as their clothing, "the fornicator has sinned against His omnipotence. We must treat him with a rod of iron and a whip of steel."

Most people walked past with nary a nod of assent or dissent; this was a common sight in Saffron, ever since the Children's Youth Group started up under Jimmy, (never ever James), Bishop.

Until one girl, a vagabond with a Nidoran by her side, strolled past them, tattered socks and scraps of leather that were supposedly shoes falling off her feet in rhythm with her movement.

She spoke to them, challenging them in a grackle squawk too old to be a child's voice, and yet holding some sort of pained innocence.

"Well, what'n the fuck'm I supposed to care for?" She challenged the lead dull-eyed child. The girl turned to her.

"He is a fornicator against the Unknown God." She said, as if this explained everything. The vagabond huffed.

"Who, Mister Tristan?" The dull-eyed girl nodded.

"He sinned against the Unknown God, and it is our duty as citizens in his Kingdom to demand retribution—"

"What the fuck're you, god?!" The vagabond spat. The Nidoran—a male one, mauve-colored ears standing proud and tall—arched his back and hissed at the group.

"No," the girl said with a dry patience, as if this homeless street girl tried her benevolence past the breaking point, "we are his chosen people—"

"Innit everyone god's chosen?" The vagabond said, crossing her arms over her skinny, frail chest. The dull-eyed girl rolled her eyes.

"Certainly not homosexuals." The vagabond shrugged.

"Well, what's it matter he's gay? Tristan's a good member of the Elite Four! I mean, it's thanks to him Morgan passed that act on schooling; more kids are attending now! An' then you just shit all over him like he's less'n human. That's just stupid."

A few people were crowding around the street girl, most nodding in assent. "Yanno, y'don't run this country. If Morgan feels like doin' something about it, fine. But you're not the Champion, so I don' think you can order his execution on the spot." The Nidoran by her side met the dull eyes of the children, hissing softly.

The lead girl's eyes hardened. "Go, Abel!" She tossed out a Pokeball, and a Murkrow phased out. The street kid nodded at her Nidoran. "C'mon then, Ian." The Nidoran faced his opponent, waiting for the Murkrow to take to the air.

He flapped his wings once, and stayed on the ground, flopping weakly about. The street girl's eyes widened. "What't fuck's up with your Murkrow?!" The girl's eyes crinkled in a vague smile.

"It is the Unknown God's wish that we not question his sky, or his air. Those who rise above the earth our Unknown God so lovingly crafted for us need to be taught—gently, but firmly—that the earth is our domain."

The girl felt sick. The Murkrow's wing was broken. It could only hobble slightly.

"If you don't treat that, he'll die!" The girl cried. "I can't fight an injured opponent!"

The dull-eyed child advanced—and slapped the other girl across the cheek, feeling the firm smack of flesh under her palm.

"Then you're stupid, for not recognizing an advantage when the Unknown God gives it to you. You and the rest of your rotten kind will burn in hell for eternity." The girl's eyes softened for an instant. "Join us, and be saved."

The vagabond spat in her face.

Turning on her heel, she left the square, Ian the Nidoran in tow, as the people stared.

Like clockwork, they merely went back to their routines, as the dull-eyed children started chanting again.

* * *

It was such a wonderful day. Gold and Silver had split, to, according to Gold, 'make babies'. She knew they were really heading out to check the riot damage, but knowing Gold, sex would most likely be involved anyways.

How was the Resistance Order going to go on? Did all the members still agree with Yellow's tactics? Or were they so weak as to go on with it anyway?

Livvy sighed, as she called, "Alright, let's make camp!" Her Pokemon happily nodded assent, and settled down. Jack yawned, stretched like a cat, and flumped down on the grass. Livvy smiled, and settled next to him, rubbing behind his ears before following suit, and falling...aslee...

The small creature cooed happily, finally finding her mommy again. She wobbled over to the girl, and climbed up on her chest, barely begun to develop, and sat down, staring unblinkingly into her mommy's peaceful face.

"_Mommy?" _Livvy's eyes shot open.

"JESUS!" She spat, shooting up into a sitting position. The young thing at her feet stared up at her. Jack snapped up, and arched his back, hissing and bristling at the intruder. He stared at the young thing, which was now filling up with tears.

"_What...what's a Cubone doing so far away from the Lost Tower?" _Jack said, flicking his ears in questioning at Olivia. She shrugged.

"_Mommy!" _The Cubone said in a cheeping voice, pointing her bone at Livvy. She pointed at Jack again, and crowed, "_Daddy!" _Olivia looked at Jack.

"Kill it, Useless." She said, going to wake the others up. Jack shook his head with a bit of fury.

"_I can't kill her, Livvy! She's just a baby!" _Olivia sized her up.

"Looks about four months old to me. Not bad for a Cubone." Jack continued to shake his head.

"_They mature slower because most mothers die at birth! She's like a young kit still! Livvy...Livvy, she must've seen us at the cemetery...and she thinks you're her mum." _Livvy stared down at the Cubone, pity and disgust warring in her eyes.

"Screw it. It's not worth my time." Jack spat.

"_Why are you being so coldhearted!? What did she do to you!?" _Livvy laughed shortly.

"My own mother failed me. What's to stop me from doing the same?"

Not even stopping to see if they were following, she turned on her heel and left for Saffron. The Cubone looked up at Jack hopefully. "_Daddy?" _She cheeped at him.

Jack resisted the urge to bang his head against the wall. "_Yeah. Let's...let's just go." _The Cubone happily scrabbled up on his back, and, hearing Grimwald's raucous laughter behind him, he started off behind Livvy.

"_She'll need a name." _Santi reminded him. Jack grit his teeth.

"_I know. I know. Give me some time." _He shook his coat out, feeling his blue rings glowing softly. Why was Livvy being like this?!

He padded on a bit behind her, watching as she burst through the gates leading to Saffron. He sighed, and looked at the woebegone Cubone.

"_Jayel." _He blurted out. Santi raised an eyebrow.

He shrugged. "_Not my problem." _Jack sighed, as Jayel began beating him on the head with her club.

He really needed a break from saving the world from a dystopian society. There wasn't really much glory in it after all.

Jack walked through the gates, and came up to Livvy with Jayel on his back, still cheerfully beating at him with a club.

"I told you to kill it, Useless." Livvy's tone was cool now, calculating as she stared at Jayel. "Cubone skulls on the black market fetch a nice price. We need the money."

Jayel stared up at Livvy, and blinked. "_Mommy...? Mommy, play!" _She threw her bone, and it flew about five feet and came back in a perfect arc, thumping into her hand.

Livvy merely stared for a second, before turning on her heel. "Fine. The runt stays. If it loses even _one _battle, I kill it myself. Understand?" Jack sighed, and nodded slowly.

He'd admitted to her that he'd loved her...and she'd said she loved him back...but now...

It was as if nothing had ever happened.

How much did he really mean to her? She was his world, his savior, his life. His mate.

And she simply walked beside him, saying nothing as Jayel pulled his ears and cheeped happily.

Jack wanted to be _more _than Useless. He wanted to be her shadow, her defender, her protector...he wanted to be hers.

He sighed, and shook his head. That could wait. Right now, he needed to understand why she rejected Jayel like this.

With a flick of her wrist, Olivia pointed left, and said, "We're in a big city, and there's a lot of people. Do you all mind staying in your Pokeballs?"

Jack wondered if she'd seen the anti-Pokephilia signs around. That must be the reason.

So nodding, they were all returned to the cherry and cream Pokeballs, while Olivia sighed and kept walking.

She looked up at Silph Co., and craned her neck up to see the skyscraper, shaking her head in wonder at its height.

In his Pokeball, Jack curled up and managed to peek out at her childlike wonder.

/_She's thirteen, soon fourteen./ _He thought to himself. He shuddered. /_And I want to mate with her./ _He shook his head. It was hard to realize that sometimes; for all her power, for all her bravery...she was still a child.

And yet...

He shook his head, and tried to get some sleep. He would let nature take its' course eventually.

* * *

Olivia headed past the company and into the small main square that Saffron had put up a few years ago. She watched the children playing with dry interest; and then she caught sight of the dead-eyed children, standing like sheep waiting at slaughter.

The children were standing in the square now, waiting for Saint Jimmy to come out of the Church and bring them to the Saffron City Children's Youth Group. Olivia happened to be walking past when their Pokemon were out of their balls.

/_help me they took my wing I cannot fly/_

_/Weres my momma momma were are you were/_

_/They're going to kill us all—/_

_/Save us girl save us please/_

_/DON'T WALK AWAY PLEASE SAVE US PLEASE WE—/_

Olivia gasped, collapsing to the ground and shuddering, sobbing hysterically and rocking back and forth, as the Pokemon stood stock still. No one moved.

The Pokemon hadn't even spoke, not in chattering cries nor Translator shrieks.

/_IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD LIVVY/_

"It's all a _lie," _she choked out in a sob that came out like a laugh, "they're all _lying to me—"_

_/Just because you're in your head doesn't mean it's not real, sadly./ _

_There._

The voice of reason.

She was still shaking though, and found she couldn't stop. It just kept going through her body like an electric shock made of ice.

She heard doors flung open by strong hands, heard muted cheers of dull joy, as a booming laugh rang in her ears.

A minute later, she heard footsteps, and looked up, as her thoughts fled at the sight the man with huge hands and a falsely warm smile, like fluorescent lighting.

"Hello, there, young lamb of the Unknown God!" He boomed cheerfully. "Welcome to Saffron City Children's Youth Group!"

As she felt small, insectlike touches scurry her into their waiting arms, she only had one thought.

/_Everyone in this city appears to have gone mad./_


	26. I don't want to start blasphemous rumors

(I am so sorry. Like, beyond sorry. My god. This hasn't been updated. I know. But one, my computer busted around this time, and I've only been allowed a limited amount of my time. My parents have set limits; thankfully, I've now paid Steve the laptop back and the limits should disappear shortly. Anyways, I also has a Jack, so I'm talking to him constantly. XD Anyways, I promise to be more disciplined in my updating. I need to be! Wish me luck!

BTW, this chapter contains a lemon. It's pretty obvious when it starts, so I won't bother italicizing or shit, but it's more humor than actual sex, 'cause it's Tristan and Morgan. /smiles/ Anyways, next chapter gets gory and freaky as fuck, so warning now.

I don't own. If I did, I would have quite a few things to say to Tajiri about getting my hopes up by naming the Sinnoh third "Platinum." You bastard.)

* * *

"You know, sir, they're getting torches and pitchforks now."

"...I thought we'd abolished farming in urban areas. Didn't we?" Morgan said, leaning over the edge of the window as a bottle cracked against the glass. Tristan arched an eyebrow.

"Well, angry mobs kind of need those. It's like a rule of sorts." Morgan nodded sagely, and looked down at the crowd. He paused, and burst out laughing.

"Am I the only one who seems to have noticed that these people are all about over the age of forty?" Tristan shrugged.

"It's the hippie creed; trust no one over thirty." Morgan sighed, and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Okay, there's something I'm not understanding." He said, beginning to pace the floor. "I order, what, it must be the execution of, say, five hundred people a month--"

"Five hundred and seventy, sir, we exceeded our quota last December." Morgan whipped around to glare at Tristan.

"Am I making a point?"

"Yes, sir, but you need to average it out--"

"Tristan?"

"Sir?"

"Shut the hell up." Morgan ordered. Tristan rolled his eyes and stared out the window as Morgan continued.

"Anyways, I ordered the executions of a lot of people, and they have no problem with it--hell, they support me! But one--just ONE--gay love affair and they want your sodomizing ass on a silver platter. In a sane world, this would not be possible." Tristan shrugged.

"In a sane world, we'd most likely be far away from a position of power." Morgan nodded.

"This is true." Tristan had been considering the rioters outside the headquarters for a few minutes now.

They could, theoretically, storm into the headquarters and kill him. It wasn't likely, but it could happen.

So what did he want...more than anything in the world? What would he need if he died?

"Sir?" He said softly.

"Let's have sex. Right now." Morgan paused.

"Excuse me?" Tristan nodded.

"Yes...here, sir. We can't exactly head outside, can we?" Morgan sighed, and whined for a second.

"B-but I'll get _papercuts." _Morgan whined, pointing to the desk with papers scattered on it. Tristan sighed, ruffled his hair, and shoved the papers off the desk, and getting on it, legs spread.

"I'm ready for you, sir. I...I'm your dog, sir. Do with me as you please." Morgan paused.

And then he backhanded Tristan across the face; Tristan could only blink before Morgan pulled him close and kissed him passionately. "You," Morgan hissed, "ass." He kissed him again.

"You are not my dog, foolish man. You are my lover."

/_Am I really? Or am I your dog, as I've always been?/_

Morgan seemed to read his mind. "I know how I treated you when we were rebels. I know; I remember all of it. And you sat there and took it, and now I know why. Because you loved me...I feel terrible now, I really do. I never treated you as an equal. Tristan, if you want to have sex with me, you need to understand you're not my dog. You are my partner. Can you do that?" Tristan bit his lip.

"Being your dog, I don't mind it, Morgan. I don't mind letting you choke me into submission sometimes, keep me on a leash. I need it sometimes. Otherwise, I'd go crazy or hurt someone. I serve, and you protect me. I was always your dog, and I don't think I can stop just like that." He kissed him. "And the leash, as I know, works two ways..." Tristan went for his shirt, ripping it off carelessly.

"And I can make you be my dog any time I wish, sir." He closed his mouth around the hollow of Morgan's neck, loving the small squealish gasp Morgan gave him in return. Morgan growled, and ripped his shirt, biting down firmly on the side of his neck, licking the skin before pulling away and attacking Tristan's earlobe with tongue and teeth instead.

Pleasure wracking his body, Tristan could only think to fumble at Morgan's pants, yanking them down, but this stupid big...hard..._thing _was in his way... Morgan chuckled, and began undoing his own belt and yanking down his pants. "Wonderful, Tristan. I suppose you're presuming we'll have sex on the desk?" Tristan shrugged.

"Why not? You'd rather have ir in the hallway?" Morgan laughed.

"I suppose. Are there any field trips scheduled for the children's schools?" Tristan smiled.

"Sadly, no," he purred, grinding against Morgan, eliciting a gasp, "but I can put on enough of a show for you anyways." Morgan purred.

"Ooh, sounds wonderful..." He grabbed Tristan by the waist and yanked his pants and boxers down in one swift motion, effortlessly tossing them aside. Morgan paused, and whispered, "Shit! Tris, we don't...uh, we don't have lube."

Tristan grinned. "I can fix that." And with that, he pinned Morgan to the table, knelt down, and captured his cock in one swift motion.

Morgan almost screamed, instead settling for a heated gasp while he fisted his fingers in Tristan's hair. Tristan grinned, and began licking eagerly, drawing his tongue lazily up the length before sucking again, then licking, and repeating the process until Morgan snarled, "If it isn't fucking slick enough by this point, I'll kill you." Tristan laughed, and looked up.

"Dogs love to lick, sir." Morgan paused, and sighed.

"What can I do to prove I don't want you as my dog? What, Tristan? What do you want from me?" Tristan blushed, and shook his head.

"Oh, nothing sir...nothing." Morgan thought for a second.

"Ride me, Tristan. It works out, doesn't it? I top from the bottom, and you keep me tethered. You're right...the leash works both ways, my precious little puppy. Now ride me before I take that tight little ass of yours and force it down." Tristan grinned, and shook his head.

"You'll have to stretch me out first." Morgan apparently took that as a challenge, swiftly coating his fingers in saliva, and then moving to pin Tristan and inserting a finger. Tristan shrieked, and gasped, "S-sir, I was joking!" Morgan laughed.

"Good," he said, inserting a second one swiftly, "I wasn't." The pain was excruciating, but the feeling of Morgan rubbing inside his entrace let Tristan relax and enjoy it slightly, as Morgan stretched him out and laid back down, and whispered, "Ride me, Tristan. I know you want it--I can see it in your eyes." Tristan sighed.

"Sir...sir..." He choked on his words for an instant. "I love you, Morgan." Morgan cracked a smile.

"Love you too, puppy. Now come on." Tristan smiled, and adjusted himself so he effectively tethered Morgan to the desk, and lowered himself down on the erect cock begging for his attention. Tristan wailed, and gasped, "S-sir! Sir, it really hurts!" Morgan huffed.

"Well, I can't really help from this position, can I?" Tristan stuck his tongue out, and began to adjust, moving up and down gently, as Morgan gasped and writhed at his motions. "H-harder, _now. _Oh, Tristan..." Morgan shuddered with pleasure, as Tristan moved up again, and impaling himself down again. "Iloveyou!" Morgan rushed out. Tristan almost giggled, until Morgan grinned and took one hand, running it up Tristan's length.

_That _felt good. Tristan moaned loudly, shuddering from the sudden contact, moving up a little more eagerly now. "Oh," he moaned, "Morgan, _faster, _I--"

Suddenly, there was an insistent knock on the door. Tristan and Morgan both froze.

"...Sirs? You can come out now, we've dispelled the crowds." Derek spoke, voice muffled by the door. Morgan stared up at Tristan in terror.

"Uh...no, we're fine. We'll...just, ah, stay in here for awhile, thanks." Morgan said, voice strained. Derek paused.

"...Morgan Kent. Tristan Rainier. The two of you are having sex in there, aren't you?"

/_Yes, and very good sex at that./_

"No, of course not!"

Collins raised an eyebrow at Derek who raised an eyebrow at Jeremy who sighed and said, "Two hundred thousand grand a month isn't enough to deal with them, is it?" Derek shook his head.

"No...no it isn't." Collins sighed.

"Sirs, come out. We know you're having sex. It's okay, really."

"LIES!" Morgan thundered. "LIES AND DEFAMATION! IT'S A GODDAMN CONSPIRACY!"

Jeremy slowly began banging his head against the door. Collins felt like following suit, but decided it would overall be a very bad decision.

"Morgan Kent. Tristan Rainier. Come out. We know you're having sex." Desperate, Morgan tried another tactic.

"Nuh-uh." Collins sighed.

"Yah-huh."

"Nuh-uh."

"Yah-huh."

Tristan, during all this, was still waiting for Morgan to thrust up.

He'd stopped moving. Why had Morgan stopped moving? He wanted some more of that delicious friction, wanted Morgan, simply wanted...

"Nuh-uh."

"Yah-huh--"

Tristan lost it.

"THRUST YOU BASTARD, I'M TRYING TO HAVE AN ORGASM HERE!"

...The rest of the Elite Four fled, as any sane men would do, but before they did, Jeremy muttered to the other two, "By the grace of god, I hope they used protection."

* * *

An hour later, the sun had set and the moon had risen over the office, as Morgan lazily pulled Tristan to him. He smiled, and buried his face in his neck. "You're so pretty." Tristan raised an eyebrow at the bottle of vodka the Elite Four kept in case of 'emergencies', also known as "really boring meetings with the ambassadors from other regions who speak in heavy accents, or 'paperwork time'".

"And you're so drunk." Morgan tried to stand, still naked, and slumped over on the desk.

"Yanno, Tristan, if you were a dog, you'd like, be...my Irish setter. That'd be cool. You could totally sit on my lap and I could go all "I've been expecting you, Meester _Bonnnnnnd, _and then, like....we could have sex." Tristan rolled his eyes.

"Sir, really? I mean..." Morgan held a hand up.

"No no no...you'd be, like, a poodle." Tristan stared. Okay, it hadn't been that much vodka...had it?

Oh no, look. Three other empty bottles.

...The rest of the Elite Four was going to be pissed he drank their supply.

"Very masculine, sir." There was a pause. Morgan pouted, looking like a petulant child.

"I like poodles." He said dejectedly. Tristan sighed.

"I won't have sex with you until you're sober, you know."

That did it. Morgan fired up the coffee machine, slugged a mug down, and pounced.

"I love you, sir." Tristan said, laughing as Morgan pinned him down.

Morgan bit his earlobe.

"Love you too, my poodle."

* * *

Olivia was brought into the small church, as Jimmy walked ahead, calling, "Up, Marowak." The beast stirred, and fixed its' eyes on Jayel. /_Soon./ _It thought, grunting to itself. Livvy herself awoke to the stained glass windows shining down brightly on her, the red and gold lights twinkling across her face.

The irony of being in a church while her father was screwing another man into the desk was lost on her, considering she didn't know at the time, (and might've been scarred for life if she had.)

Jimmy examined the Pokeballs, and said nothing, considering the students had yet to school the child anyway. He would get her situated, however. "Eden, Jericho, please go get this girl some new clothes. Duma, you'll take her to our classroom, won't you, when we're finished? She may sit in with us on a lesson."

Eden's Murkrow sat on her shoulder and stared down at Olivia, flapping his useless wing. "Abel, come on. We're taking the lost sheep to her room now." Eden spoke, as Abel cawed and followed her, lurching behind Jericho and Eden as they took Olivia to the dressing room. She was still disorientated from the heavy incense, so the two helped her into a white sundress, which she didn't question in the slightest, considering how out of it she was.

Jack screamed inside his Pokeball, screamed for her to get away because he could smell kindred Pokemon's blood, and _he could smell it on the children_...But she didn't hear a single word, as they led her out into the hallway and down the cold, foreboding hall into a small classroom.

Slogans cheerfully trumpeted a deity Jack had never heard of. There were drawings of Mew and the Lati twins, crossed out and scribbled upon. There was a quotation on the board; "_And the Unknown God said 'yea, for the Pokemon shall have no domain over the humans and so it shall be the legends are mere idols and shall be put to death'." _Jack felt sick. This place was _wrong, wrong wrong wrong. _

/_This is the way the world ends/_

Jack roared with pain inside his Pokeball. All he wanted to do was protect Livvy and she was sitting there, staring blankly at the walls covered in blasphemy against the gentle Pokemon Legends, who had never hurt any human that served them. Not even Darkrai, ruler of night-ghasts and dark rooms.

"Children of the Unknown God, good morning." The children chorused back, "Blessed be, Saint Jimmy." Olivia blinked.

"Wh-what...?" The children turned to her as one living, obedient organism, and said, "Saint Jimmy is the prophet of the Unknown God, sent to this mortal earth to save our souls and protect the downtrodden from the false idols of Pokemon." Olivia blinked.

/_But I've SEEN Mew with my own eyes! I know she exists; and so does Giratina! If they exist, why shouldn't the others exist too!? I've never even heard of this 'Unknown God' before in my life!/ _She kept her mouth shut and watched, as Jimmy passed out thick books bound in what looked to be Tauros skin.

Livvy felt sick as she picked up the book, feeling rage and pain trapped in the sheath of skin covering words that held no meaning or sense. She opened it slowly, and skimmed through it.

"_So sayeth the Unknown GOD that all fornicators with the beasts of Poke shall be put to death--"_

_"The monsters of Poke shall be put to earth; let no flying monster fly above the Unknown GOD and challenge his rule--"_

_"LET ALL POKEMON BE MADE AS SLAVES TO THE RIGHTEOUS! SO SAYETH THE UNKNOWN GOD!" _

Livvy jumped and shut the book, for this was the passage they were chanting now. Jimmy watched, satisfied. With a small incline of his head to the Marowak, Marowak stepped forward and presented Livvy with her belt, missing only Jack and Jayel's Pokeballs. Livvy blinked. "Thank you?" The Marowak was unreadable; a mere beast of rage and barely contained bloodlust. Jimmy paused, and smiled warmly.

"We need no thanks for helping a lost sheep towards the Unknown God's flock. Come, child, celebrate the mystery of faith with us. Would you like to stay for awhile?"

He clapped his hands, and two children, blank as dolls, brought in a terrified girl clasping a Pokeball to her chest. Jimmy smiled, the smile now devoid of any warmth it might've given.

"I believe we have the appropriate tithe to the Unknown God for this mass." He murmured softly.


	27. Your Own Personal Jesus

(Almost five months on hiatus. And I'm truly, truly sorry for that, I am. I didn't mean to make anyone wait. I've had a very hectic summer and school year's end term, so I haven't been at my peak. Also, for the first entire month of June, I had no meds, making me useless and emotionally unstable. Please forgive me. I tried my best to make this chapter worth it—and now I've got a schedule going, a SERIOUS schedule, which I will do my very best to adhere to.

Thank you so much, for all of my fans. Thank you for sticking by me and waiting through my nonsense. I promise to make it up to you with the best work I can muster.)

Olivia merely watched as they tied her up. The Umbreon was pinned to a board by rope and poles—the girl was chained next to him. Jimmy began to caress her, and tweaked her nipples, giggling like a very large child. She shook her head, and gripped her Pokeballs for comfort.

The Murkrow looked at her, eyes pale rubies in the glow of the candles. She could only blink. The other children stood, waiting as Jimmy began to stroke the Umbreon as well. He began searching for something—searching--what is it?

Apparently, he found it. He made a satisfied sound, and began to stroke the Umbreon lower. Olivia blinked. But...he was, well... She coughed, and tried to hide a blush. Jimmy was teasing the Umbreon's penis out of the little flap of skin covering his, well, penis. The girl looked horrified—and vaguely aroused.

For the first time, Olivia realized that girl looked a hell of a lot like her. Her throat convulsed again, as Jimmy had the full length in his hands. He spoke now, as the children watched expressionlessly. "Now, we must give to the flesh what comes from the flesh, as the Unknown God tells us. Tell me, little one," he addressed the girl now, blinking kindly at her, "are you a virgin?" The girl nodded rapidly, making emphatic sounds from behind her gag. Jimmy's smile grew wickedly wide.

"Oh, that's wonderful." He said, as Olivia noticed something—he was tugging on the Umbreon's penis now, and tugging hard. "Too bad I don't believe you."

With an odd _schlup _noise, he had ripped the penis clean off the Umbreon's body. Olivia felt the bile rise in her throat, as the Umbreon's screaming pain bounced off the walls of her mind. Jimmy turned to the horrified girl, and removed the gag.

"Oh, oh, please sir please he's just my Pokemon please don't hurt Blacky anymore, please—" Jimmy stroked her face, and shook his head.

"It will be quite all right, dear. Trust me," he whispered, "I'm saving your soul."

He began stuffing the limp and bloody flesh into her mouth, as she screamed in abject horror, muffled by the inches of flesh he'd shoved into her mouth...down her throat...he didn't even need to fasten a hand around her windpipe. His huge fist and the decent amount of bloodied flesh did the work for him. She made one last futile gagging sound, and died. Olivia watched with disinterest, until Jimmy turned back to the kids.

"All right, my flock," he rumbled, "it is time for our communion."

Out of the shadows, the largest Marowak Olivia had ever seen glided, a large bone, (femur, maybe? It was hard to tell), clenched in his fist.

"Wak wak. Marowak." He rumbled, and began to efficiently tear at the body. It was businesslike, executed with blasé efficiency. Strips of flesh began to tumble playfully away. Jimmy held up a hand.

"Wait!" He cried, stopping the Marowak. He stepped forward, and removed the flaccid flesh from the girl's mouth. "Five second rule."

With that, he popped it in his mouth and smacked his lips noiselessly. "Right then, Marowak, back to your work. We've got an extra to feed tonight." Olivia was jolted back to reality by that statement, and suddenly remembered she had Pokemon to take care of. She was their only hope for getting out alive.

/Useless, Grimwald, Santi, Levi...even Jayel, I promise we'll get out of here./ She nodded at Jimmy, as Marowak finished.

The other children began eating the flesh heartily, lapping the blood off the floor as well, as someone chanted an ancient song. Olivia made to look as if she too was participating, quietly formulating a plan.

_/Well, realistically, I could just run. But this guy's got the city in the palm of his hand, what would I say? I could get my dad, but...they might just kill him too. No. No one else will get involved./ _

She paused. /_Wait. He's...the Gym Leader, isn't he? I remember it on the sign before I came into Saffron...if I beat him, while he's weakened I can escape. I don't have a choice, anyway./_

She close her eyes to the carnage, and stepped forward. "Saint Jimmy, my name is Olivia Kent. I challenge you for the Badge of Saffron Gym."

"_Not too retarded, I see." _Grim muttered from his Pokeball.

"Shut up." She hissed.

Jimmy grinned indulgently at her. "Of course. You must understand, however, that I only have my one Pokemon. My Marowak shall have to do." Olivia watched intently as the monstrosity stepped forward. He—it? He, she supposed. He tossed his bone from paw to paw, watching. His eyes challenged her, the glare from the fishlike pupils making her blink and back down.

"I will fight!" Olivia blinked. Jayel stood at her feet, small femur in her hand. The Marowak looked down at her balefully.

"Hey, no, wait, I want to pick another Pokemon--" Olivia didn't even have time to finish. The Marowak darted forward and slammed a bone into Jayel's stomach. The Cubone promptly went flying, skidding past the slick blood-stained floors and into a wall. Olivia closed her eyes and groaned quietly.

There was no way it would end well—wait. Was Jayel getting up?

The Cubone had. She darted upwards, and chucked her own bone weapon at the Marowak. The beast caught it with ease, and slammed it into her face. The children watched silently.

Olivia was already devising eighteen different ways to slit the man's throat, grab the badge, and duck out of this place as fast as possible. Jimmy just stared.

Jayel looked back at Olivia. And maybe it was because she saw that no one—absolutely _no one—_believed she could do it, that she paused.

The world shifted. The balance tilted in her favor.

With that, she ducked and slammed her own skull-clad head into the soft skin under the Marowak's skull. She snarled, and snatched her bone back from the Marowak, dodging and then blocking a Bonemerang. The Marowak grunted, and lunged forward. Olivia's eyes began to glint with interest.

Jayel jumped and caught a blow to the stomach, however she managed to grab the Marowak's arm and stop it moving long enough to catch her breath again. She then tried her own Bonemerang, darting far enough out of reach that it could fly forward and then back without repercussion. Marowak began to get angry.

Olivia had seen enough. "Jayel!" She callled. "Get him angrier! Make him loose his focus!"

The Cubone heard and obeyed. She poked him in the eye with her femur-blade, as the Marowak roared in pain. Olivia cracked up, as the Marowak lunged blindly forward, roaring in rage and agony. Jayel's paw shot out, bone effectively cracking both of Marowak's ankles. The Marowak tumbled to the ground.

Jayel howled and slammed a femur-blade into the Marowak's face. The beast grabbed the femur-blade and flipped her forward, as she tumbled and skidded into the wall. She got up and swooned on her feet for an instant, before spitting on the floor and leaping up, eyes wild as she lunged for the Marowak's soft belly.

The small nubs on the femur-blade managed to rake the skin, but not deep enough to be fatal. It succeeded, however, in driving the Marowak further mad, to the point where it tossed its' bone aside and began ripping indiscriminately at Jayel, trying to get all the flesh it could reach.

Olivia grinned wickedly. The Cubone leaped forward and swung up past the Marowak using its' skull-horns for leverage. She gripped it tight, and flipped the Marowak over backwards. Jimmy blinked in surprise. Olivia chortled to herself.

Then Jayel's eyes glinted. She held the Marowak down with her femur-blade, and began tugging at the skull-helmet. Olivia watched with an eyebrow raised. An interesting way to get stronger, she surmised.

The Marowak's screams of pain were inhuman, echoing off the walls over and over as Jayel lifted the skull of the misshapen, lumpy brown head. The underbelly of the exoskeletal head was soft. A final swing from Jayel's femur-blade, and it fell silent.

She took her own skull, and began inching it off gently, with as much care as possible so as not to harm the soft skin below. She tossed it to the side, and lifted the Marowak skull on her head.

Instantly, she shifted. Became larger, stronger, more fierce looking. More like a warrior.

The girl had grown up, in the most macabre of ways.

With a final gesture towards the dead, she picked up his spinal weapon. She tested it in her palm, and found it satisfactory. With a snort, she turned to Olivia.

"Do I make you proud?" She asked, a voice still young and tinged with hope. Olivia smiled and knelt.

"Yes." She mumbled softly. "You do." She stood, and faced Jimmy.

"And you," she said, "owe me a Badge."

Jimmy stared at her for a moment. His response was to fumble for the bible in his pocket, and chuck it at her. She dodged easily, and grabbed the Badge, glinting on the front of his preacher's stole. She darted past the grasping hands—and ended up facing the children. Their blank faces watched her as her eyes darted from Pokeball to Pokeball. She closed her eyes.

_Here goes. _She opened her mouth, and yelled, "FREE YOURSELVES!"

The Pokemon, mangled and maltreated in some cases, all exploded out of their circular cells. All stared at her, waiting for her to make the first move.

"Don't attack." She said. "We need to move on. No point in more violence—wouldn't that prove them right about you?" The Pokemon all blinked. The children didn't move, seemingly unaware their next move would decide if Olivia won out or their Pokemon brought justice.

The Murkrow from before stepped forward, head held high.

"Lassie's got a point," he croaked, "what are we, animals?" The Pokemon nodded, and stepped back. Olivia turned and pressed the release button on Santi's Pokeball.

The Murkrow hopped up on his head like he'd always been there. Olivia snorted in amusement as Santi opened his wings and darted forward, conveniently clipping Jimmy with his wing and tearing his flesh open down to his spine.

"God, we are horrible people, aren't we?" Santi remarked with grim amusement as they sped out of Saffron, over the charred remains of Celadon, and down straight to Fuschia. Olivia snorted.

"We should be so lucky."

The team all laughed, as Jack cuddled closer to Olivia, content with hearing her heart beat against his ears. And for a moment, they all had peace.

Morgan tilted his head upward, stroking Tristan's soft black hair as he nuzzled the Champion's neck, teasingly rubbing his lips close. They finally had some peace and quiet, after a few hectic days of raising Psychic hybrid children and press conferences. (They were currently trying to determine which was worse—however, they were both in agreement that either could be solved by consuming sufficient amounts of alcohol.)

Derek was outside, again stuck with the job of answering calls and accepting visitors. He sighed deeply, and watched a woman approach his desk. He blinked, and observed her. Brunette with wavy hair, and a simple colorful dress. Her eyes were kind, but there was sadness clouding them.

"Excuse me," she asked him, "may I please speak to the Champion?"

"That'd be me," Morgan said, striding out of his office, "is something wrong?"

"Sir!" Tristan called. "You still have a hickey!" The woman smiled, and giggled, as Morgan glared in Tristan's direction, and pulled the collar of his shirt up higher.

"Besides that, as my idiot assistant demonstrates." He said smoothly.

"I'm not just an idiot, I'm a _spunky _idiot! I'm practically ready-made sidekick material!" Morgan slammed the office door shut, and sized up the woman.

"Anyways, what can I do for you? You don't look like one of the typical senator interns." She shook her head, and the cloud of sadness surrounding her eyes shifted.

"That's because I'm not. Sir, I'm here to ask you something. You've just recently been outed, haven't you?" Morgan raised an eyebrow.

"Indeed, yes. Is there a problem?" His tone shifted slightly. The woman shook her head.

"None. Simply a question." She looked at him, and the weight of her gaze fought him down.

"My name is Polly Clark. My son is your lover's age, sir. He's a good boy, and a sweetheart. He'd be a devoted and attentive husband. The thing is, you won't let him be that. Why? If you are yourself dating a man, why won't you fix what you've broken?" Morgan continued to stare.

And then he laughed.

"Because," he said, turning back to open the door, "I'm lazy, and give it a few more weeks. My daughter will do it for me." Morgan turned to go back into the office—

"I'M UNDERWEAR LAD! DEFENDER OF THE DOWNTRODDEN AND PANDA WHISPERER!" Tristan darted out, rushing past both Derek, Morgan, and Polly.

"Was he just—"

"I'M _NAAAKED!" _

Morgan bit the inside of his cheek until Polly turned and raised an eyebrow. Then he burst out laughing, clutching Derek's desk and shaking with hysteria.

Derek sighed, and bit his pen before tapping it on the desk. "Honestly, sir," he muttered, "you could stop doing this sort of nonsense when I'm on paperwork detail."


End file.
